Heartwarming Janchi Guksu (Banquet Noodles)
Golden Recipe for Janchi Guksu at Home
Enjoy a delightful bowl of Janchi Guksu, featuring a deep, refreshing broth, chewy noodles, and elegant toppings, all easily made at home. Learn the secret to achieving a rich flavor with simple ingredients.
Broth Ingredients- Wheat noodles (Somen)
- Eggs
- Dried anchovies (for broth)
- Radish
- Kelp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
The key to delicious Janchi Guksu is a refreshing broth! In a pot, combine dried anchovies, radish, and kelp. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Even without ingredients like onions or green onions, these three alone will create a wonderfully clear and flavorful broth. It’s best to simmer the broth for at least 30 minutes to extract its full flavor, so if you decide to make noodles, start by putting the broth on to simmer before doing anything else.
Step 2
Now, let’s make the beautiful egg garnish for the top of the noodles! Find a flat plate you have at home. Lightly drizzle oil onto the surface of the plate and spread it thinly with a paper towel to coat. This prevents the egg from sticking and helps it cook beautifully. Prepare your beaten egg (either yolk, white, or both) and pour it thinly onto the oiled plate. The trick to a good garnish is to make it very thin, as a thick layer won’t have that delicate garnish feel.
Step 3
Next, pop the plate into the microwave! Just 30 seconds is all it takes to create a perfectly thin and neat egg garnish that looks almost like a delicate sheet. It’s incredibly simple!
Step 4
Look how perfectly neat it is! Because the plate was oiled, the egg doesn’t stick at all and peels off smoothly, like a delicate film. The shape remains intact and beautiful.
Step 5
Now, cut the cooked egg garnish into bite-sized pieces. When sliced thinly and prettily, they look much more appetizing as a topping for your Janchi Guksu. Even just the neatly sliced garnish elevates the dish.
Step 6
Once the garnish is ready, it’s time to cook the noodles. Add the somen noodles to a pot of vigorously boiling water. Use chopsticks to gently stir the noodles, ensuring they don’t stick together as they cook. Continuous stirring is crucial to prevent clumping.
Step 7
When the water starts to bubble up and looks like it might overflow, add a very small amount of cold water to bring down the temperature. This technique helps the noodles cook to a perfect chewy texture and prevents the pot from boiling over. Be patient and repeat this a few times for wonderfully cooked noodles.
Step 8
Once the noodles are cooked to your liking, drain them in a colander and immediately rinse them under cold running water. Rinsing the noodles washes away excess starch, resulting in a firmer, chewier texture. The cold water ‘shower’ makes the noodles even more appealingly springy.
Step 9
While you were preparing the garnish and boiling the noodles, the broth should have simmered nicely. Even without additional seasoning, the combination of anchovies, radish, and kelp creates a deep flavor. However, adding the noodles can dilute the taste slightly. Therefore, add a little soup soy sauce (guk-ganjang) to enhance the umami and adjust the seasoning. The rich broth, enhanced with the aroma of soup soy sauce, becomes even more delicious.
Step 10
Now, all the preparations are complete! Place the chewy noodles in a warmed bowl, then ladle the deeply flavored, hot broth over them. Finally, artfully arrange the prepared egg garnish on top. Your mouthwatering, golden recipe Janchi Guksu is ready! Enjoy your meal!
