How do you make the soup base for the korean dish, neng myun?!
How do you make the soup base for the korean dish, neng myun?
I love it when my friends get me this at out favorite korean restaurant. I really want to know how to make this, so i could make it myself. =]
Answers:
Mool Naeng Myun
Ingredients:
1 package of buckwheat noodles from a Korean grocery store - ask for naeng myun - the list of ingredients may read "buckwheat noodles," or may include a few other ingredients like "sweet potato starch", "wheat," and "salt."
1 carton of organic chicken or organic beef broth
Sea salt
Vinegar (brown rice vinegar is best, white vinegar will do)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded with a spoon, then sliced into thin strips about 2 inches long
1 Asian pear, peeled and thinly sliced
Soft boiled egg - one for each person
Ice cubes
Prep:
Traditionally, the broth for mool naeng myun is made with about 1/3 beef broth, 1/3 chicken broth, and 1/3 kim chi brine. But because few people have the time or expertise to include all three components to make this broth, most Koreans use just beef broth or chicken broth.
Pour organic chicken or beef broth into a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons of vinegar, stir gently, and taste. Imagine drinking this broth while eating chewy buckwheat noodles and add more vinegar if you prefer more tang. This is the step that requires a previous encounter with well made mool naeng myun. Add a small amount of sea salt, to taste. If there is enough time before mealtime, put this bowl of broth in the refrigerator to chill.
Put buckwheat noodles into a large pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. They should be taken out as soon as they are al dente - chewy, but not too soft. At this point, put noodles in a large colander and rinse two to three times with cold water. Allow noodles to rest in the colander for a few minutes or until excess water has been drained.
To serve, place a large handful of noodles in a large eating bowl. Add a small bunch of cucumber strips, a few pear slices, and one soft boiled egg (cut in half right before serving) to the bowl. Then use a ladle to add a generous amount of cold and tangy broth to the bowl, enough to cover about 75 percent of the ingredients.
Right before eating, use scissors to cut the noodles a few times to allow for more convenient mouthfuls.
With each mouthful of noodles, vegetables, and egg, bring the bowl right up to your mouth and take a sip of the cold and tangy broth. Enjoy this traditional Korean summertime dish!