Japchae

Japchae or Korean glass noodles. Normally you'll see this served meatless as a side dish. I add meat and make it a meal. Play with what kind of veggies you want, bok choy, celery, just about anything you want. I'm just being finicky and cooking each ingredient separately in order to not overcook ingredients.


1/2 lb Korean glass noodles
4 oz beef or pork or chicken cut into small bite size pieces
1 medium (or 3 baby) carrot julienned
4 oz baby spinach – rinsed and drained
1 small sweet red pepper very thinly sliced
1/2 large yellow onion thinly sliced
4 oz fresh shiitake mushroom thinly sliced

SPINACH SEASONING
1/4 tsp fine salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil

MARINADE FOR MEAT
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sesame oil

NOODLES & MUSHROOM MARINADE – MIX THESE IN A SMALL BOWL
4 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

FINISHING TOUCH
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1 large egg per person

Marinate the meat and the mushrooms for 30 minutes or more while you're assembling all the other ingredients.
Blanch your spinach and then dunk in cool water, drain, and then toss with the spinach seasoning.
Cook your noodles in the spinach water, dunk in cool water, then let sit in the noodle marinade.
Stir fry each vegetable on high heat separately just until barely cooked and set to the side.
Fry your marinated meat last. When it's done, add all your ingredients back to the skillet and just heat through.

Serve into bowls, toss with sesame seeds, a little bit of sesame oil on top, and an over easy fried egg on top.