Janchi Guksu (Korean Banquet Noodles) with Abundant Toppings
The Perfect Combination: Janchi Guksu with Hearty Toppings from Romantic Noodles
November is quickly drawing to a close. Have you all finished your kimchi-making? At our home, we wrap up kimchi-making by adding broth made from dried pollock. We often make extra broth to use for kimchi, and then use any leftover broth, seasoned further, to make delicious Janchi Guksu or Hwangtae Kalguksu (dried pollock noodle soup). This kimchi-making season, I made Janchi Guksu topped with plenty of fresh vegetables, and my family loved it so much I wanted to share the recipe. As long as the broth is delicious, you can customize the toppings to your liking! Would you like to enjoy a warm bowl of Janchi Guksu on this chilly day?
Ingredients (for 2 servings – Toppings & Base)- Somen or medium noodles, 2 servings
- Eggs, 2
- Carrot, 1/4
- Zucchini, 1/3
- Shiitake mushrooms, 1-2
- Kimchi, 2-3 stalks
- Vegetable oil, a little
- Salt, a little
- Seasoned soy sauce (Mat-ganjang) or regular soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp
- Black pepper, a little
- Sesame oil or perilla oil, a little
Seasoning Sauce- Seasoned soy sauce (Mat-ganjang) or regular soy sauce, 3-4 Tbsp
- Pear juice, 1 tsp
- Chili peppers (red or green), 1/2 each (optional)
- White parts of green onion or chives, 1 Tbsp (finely chopped)
- Sesame oil or perilla oil, 1 tsp
Wild Chive Sauce (Optional)- Wild chives
- Onion
- Chili pepper
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
Dried Pollock Broth (Hwangtae Yuksu)- Dried pollock head, 1
- Radish, 1 piece (3-4cm)
- Onion, 1/2
- Dried shiitake mushroom, 1
- Kelp, 1 sheet (approx. 10×10 cm)
- Water, 2L
- Dried chili or red chili pepper, 1 (optional, for spiciness)
- Soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang), a little
- Salt, a little
- Seasoned soy sauce (Mat-ganjang) or regular soy sauce, 3-4 Tbsp
- Pear juice, 1 tsp
- Chili peppers (red or green), 1/2 each (optional)
- White parts of green onion or chives, 1 Tbsp (finely chopped)
- Sesame oil or perilla oil, 1 tsp
Wild Chive Sauce (Optional)- Wild chives
- Onion
- Chili pepper
- Sesame oil
- Soy sauce
Dried Pollock Broth (Hwangtae Yuksu)- Dried pollock head, 1
- Radish, 1 piece (3-4cm)
- Onion, 1/2
- Dried shiitake mushroom, 1
- Kelp, 1 sheet (approx. 10×10 cm)
- Water, 2L
- Dried chili or red chili pepper, 1 (optional, for spiciness)
- Soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang), a little
- Salt, a little
- Dried pollock head, 1
- Radish, 1 piece (3-4cm)
- Onion, 1/2
- Dried shiitake mushroom, 1
- Kelp, 1 sheet (approx. 10×10 cm)
- Water, 2L
- Dried chili or red chili pepper, 1 (optional, for spiciness)
- Soup soy sauce (Guk-ganjang), a little
- Salt, a little
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, let’s prepare the colorful toppings for your Janchi Guksu! For the basic vegetable toppings, I’ve used plenty of zucchini, which I love, along with thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms and carrots. Finely chopped kimchi is essential, and finally, we’ll add a beautiful sunny-side-up egg crepe. Feel free to get creative: you could top it with ground beef stir-fried with bulgogi marinade, blanched spinach or chives, shredded seaweed (gim), or even pickled radish (danmuji) – they all make it delicious!
Step 2
1. **Making the Rich and Refreshing Dried Pollock Broth**: At our home, we typically make dried pollock broth as a base for kimchi seasoning and then adjust it with chili and soy sauce for noodle soup. You can also enhance the broth by adding ingredients like leek roots, ginger, garlic, or anchovies/dried anchovies according to your preference.
Step 3
1-1. **Preparing Broth Vegetables**: Slice the radish into bite-sized pieces; this helps release its sweetness into the broth. Dried shiitake mushrooms and dried chili peppers offer a deeper flavor, but fresh ones work wonderfully too, as I used myself.
Step 4
1-2. **Simmering the Broth**: In a large pot, combine 2L of water with the dried pollock head, half an onion, kelp, sliced radish, and shiitake mushrooms. Adding a dried or fresh chili pepper will give the broth a pleasant kick.
Step 5
1-3. **Skimming for Clarity**: As the broth begins to boil, carefully skim off any foam that rises to the surface. This step is crucial for removing any fishy odor from the dried pollock and ensuring a clean, clear broth. If your dried pollock has been frozen for a long time, adding a splash of cooking wine can help eliminate any lingering odors.
Step 6
1-4. **Removing Kelp and Simmering**: Once the water reaches a boil, remove the kelp after about 5 minutes to prevent bitterness. Reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for another 30 minutes, allowing the flavors of the pollock and vegetables to fully infuse. Afterward, strain all the solids and carefully filter the broth to achieve a clear liquid.
Step 7
1-5. **Seasoning the Noodle Broth**: After about 30 minutes of simmering, when the rich aroma of dried pollock has beautifully infused the broth, strain it for clarity. (The broth intended for kimchi was cooled separately at this stage.) Season the remaining broth with soup soy sauce and salt to your personal taste to create the perfect noodle soup base. * For a spicier broth, add dried chilies, red chilies, or green chilies. Omit if serving to children or those sensitive to spice.
Step 8
2. **Preparing the Vibrant Toppings**: We’re preparing toppings in the five traditional Korean colors (obangsaek) for a visually appealing dish! Red: stir-fried carrot and kimchi. Yellow: egg crepe. Green: stir-fried zucchini. Black: stir-fried shiitake mushrooms. This colorful arrangement not only looks beautiful but also adds depth to the flavor.
Step 9
2-1. **Making the Egg Crepe**: Whisk the eggs with a pinch of fine salt. You can separate the yolks and whites to make distinct yellow and white crepes. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Reduce the heat to low, then pour in the egg mixture. Cook until set and golden brown. Cooking on low heat prevents sticking and results in a thicker crepe. * Fine sea salt or baked salt is recommended for its smooth texture. Coarse salt might not dissolve well and can be unpleasant to bite into.
Step 10
* **Creative Plating Tip: Blooming Egg Flower** Once your egg crepes are cooked golden brown on both sides, you can simply slice them thinly. But if you’re feeling fancy, here’s how to make a beautiful ‘egg flower’!
Step 11
Fold the crepe in half. Make thin, parallel cuts along the folded edge, leaving about 1.5-2 cm uncut at the top. Then, gently roll it up from the cut side and stand it upright on the noodles. It will unfurl like a blooming flower!
Step 12
2-2. **Slicing the Vegetable Toppings**: Thinly julienne the zucchini, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms to roughly the same thickness as the egg crepe strips for a uniform look.
Step 13
2-3. **Salting the Zucchini**: Sprinkle 1 tsp of salt over the julienned zucchini and let it sit for 3-4 minutes. This draws out excess moisture, preventing the zucchini from becoming watery when stir-fried and improving its texture.
Step 14
2-4. **Stir-frying the Zucchini**: Squeeze out the excess water from the salted zucchini. Heat a lightly oiled pan and stir-fry until tender and lightly golden. Be careful not to overcook.
Step 15
2-5. **Stir-frying the Carrots**: In a lightly oiled, preheated pan, stir-fry the julienned carrots with about two pinches of salt until tender and slightly caramelized. This brings out their natural sweetness.
Step 16
2-6. **Stir-frying Shiitake Mushrooms**: In a lightly oiled pan, stir-fry the shiitake mushrooms. Add a splash of soy sauce to give them a savory, slightly smoky flavor, reminiscent of bulgogi. Finish with a sprinkle of black pepper after turning off the heat.
Step 17
2-7. **Preparing the Kimchi**: Finely chop the kimchi. I used freshly made kimchi, but well-fermented kimchi is often preferred for noodles. If using fresh kimchi (like geotjeori), you can toss it with sesame oil, perilla oil, and a pinch of pepper, then let it rest briefly to mellow out any raw flavor.
Step 18
3. **Making the Seasoning Sauce**: Simply combine all the ingredients for the seasoning sauce. My recommended mix includes seasoned soy sauce (or regular soy sauce), sesame oil, pear juice, finely chopped chives or the white parts of green onions, and finely chopped chili peppers. You can add fine chili powder to taste, but I omitted it here since I’m using kimchi as a topping. Pear juice can be substituted with plum extract.
Step 19
* **Alternative Sauce Ideas**: During spring or early winter, a sauce made with plenty of chopped wild chives is a delightful option. Also, lightly blanched spinach mixed with seasoned soy sauce and sesame oil creates a unique and delicious topping.
Step 20
4-1. **Cooking the Noodles**: Once the water is boiling vigorously, add the noodles, spreading them out as much as possible to prevent clumping. When the water starts to boil over, add a splash of cold water to calm the foam. Repeat this process 2-3 times, depending on the amount of noodles, until they are cooked al dente.
Step 21
4-2. **Rinsing the Noodles**: Stir the noodles occasionally while cooking to prevent sticking. Once they appear translucent and are cooked through, rinse them thoroughly in cold or ice-cold water to remove excess starch. This step ensures the noodles are firm and don’t become mushy.
Step 22
5. **Warming and Plating the Noodles**: Briefly dip the firm, cooked noodles into the warm broth, or use the ‘toe-gyeom’ method (pouring warm broth over the noodles in the bowl, then draining and refilling) to warm them through. Arrange the noodles neatly in a wide noodle bowl.
Step 23
6. **Adding Toppings and Broth**: Generously arrange all the colorful prepared toppings over the warmed noodles. I added extra zucchini because I love it! Finally, ladle the rich dried pollock broth over the noodles. Add a spoonful of the seasoning sauce on top and mix well before slurping it up. Ah, doesn’t that look incredibly appetizing?
Step 24
The taste of Janchi Guksu enjoyed with freshly made kimchi is simply divine! Enjoy a warm and satisfying meal with this delightful recipe.
