Spicy and Sweet Whelk Salad with Noodles (Golbaengi Muchim)
How to Make Golbaengi Muchim: A Delicious Whelk and Noodle Salad
I made some delicious Golbaengi Muchim!
Ingredients- 1 can (400g) Canned Whelks
- 30g Dried Pollack Fillet (Bukkeo-chae)
- 1/2 Cucumber
- 1/2 Onion
- 30g Carrot
- 5 Fresh Perilla Leaves (Kkaennip)
- 1 Green Onion
- 1 Cheongyang Pepper (Optional)
- 100g Somyeon (Thin Wheat Noodles)
For Initial Seasoning- 2 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean Chili Flakes) – Coarse
- 2 Tbsp Gochugaru (Korean Chili Flakes) – Coarse
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Prepare one 400g can of whelks. Using whelks with plump flesh will give you a better texture.
Step 2
Don’t discard the liquid from the whelk can! You’ll use it to rehydrate the dried pollack. Carefully pour the liquid into a separate container and set aside.
Step 3
Cut the prepared whelks into 2-3 bite-sized pieces. Cutting them too small might reduce the enjoyable chewiness, so aim for a moderate size.
Step 4
Next, prepare 30g of dried pollack fillet. Gently warm the reserved whelk liquid and soak the dried pollack for about 5 minutes until softened. Squeeze out any excess water thoroughly. Soaking in the whelk liquid will add a subtle umami flavor to the pollack.
Step 5
Wash the half cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise, and then slice it diagonally. To maintain its crispness, avoid slicing it too thinly.
Step 6
Slice the 30g of carrot diagonally in a similar shape and size to the cucumber. Carrots add a vibrant color and make the dish visually appealing.
Step 7
Peel and wash the half onion, then slice it thinly into strips. If the strips are too thick, they might feel disconnected from the other ingredients, so try to cut them uniformly.
Step 8
Wash the green onion thoroughly, separating the white and green parts. Slice it thinly into strips. The pungent aroma of the green onion will enhance the overall flavor of the dish.
Step 9
Soak the sliced onion and green onion in cold water for about 5 minutes to remove their sharp flavor and maintain their crispness. After soaking, drain them completely.
Step 10
For a spicy kick, slice the Cheongyang pepper in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, and then cut it into very fine slivers. If you prefer less heat, you can omit the Cheongyang pepper or substitute it with a milder green pepper.
Step 11
Wash the 5 perilla leaves and pat them dry. Slice them into pieces roughly the same size as the cucumber and carrot. The fragrant aroma of the perilla leaves will elevate the taste of the whelk salad.
Step 12
Now, let’s make the delicious sauce. In a large bowl, combine 1 Tbsp minced garlic, 1 Tbsp fine gochugaru, 4 Tbsp sugar, 5 Tbsp gochujang, 5 Tbsp vinegar, 1 Tbsp sesame oil, and 1/2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds. Mix well until the sugar is dissolved to create the sauce.
Step 13
Combine the whelks, rehydrated pollack, and all the sliced vegetables (cucumber, carrot, onion, green onion, Cheongyang pepper, perilla leaves) in a large bowl. Add 2 Tbsp of coarse gochugaru for the initial seasoning. Gently toss everything together to coat the ingredients evenly. Seasoning with gochugaru first helps to reduce the amount of liquid released from the vegetables when you mix in the sauce later, resulting in a cleaner dish.
Step 14
After the initial seasoning, add all the prepared sauce to the bowl. Gently mix again to ensure the sauce is evenly distributed throughout all the ingredients. Taste and adjust the sugar or vinegar according to your preference.
Step 15
Finally, cook 100g of somyeon noodles in boiling water. Once cooked, quickly rinse them under cold water to remove excess starch and drain them thoroughly. (The noodles in the photo are cheongja somyeon, giving them a lovely yellow hue; regular somyeon works just as well.) Serve the Golbaengi Muchim with the prepared noodles for a more substantial meal or a delightful accompaniment to drinks.
