Cycle 4 – Item 59

5 (Tue) March 2013

Jjol Myeon

3.0

by me

at home

-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W and DJ

Jjol Myeon (쫄면) is a Korean dish.  The noodles are made of potato starch, super chewy – the name derives from “jjolgit (쫄깃),” which means “chewy.”  The noodles are dressed in a sauce of gochujang + sesame oil + sugar and topped with various shredded vegetables, typically white cabbage + bean sprouts + carrots + cucumbers + onions, as well as a boiled egg.  A dish of contrasts, the sweet spicy sauce and chewy noodles balance perfectly against the bright and crispy fresh veggies, making it both light and intense at the same time.  It’s a popular item as a snack or light lunch, most commonly found in quick-fix restaurants.

For me, the process begins with a packaged jjol myeon product containing noodles and sauce.  The lion’s share of the work involves preparing the many fresh ingredients not included in the package.  Among the products that I’ve tried, my favorite is by Pulmuone, no surprise; the sauce presents the purest gochujang flavor, not too sweet, not too spicy.  Quick, easy, tasty, and relatively healthful.

Come to think of it, jjol myeon might’ve been the first thing that I ever cooked for my wife after we got married.

RECIPE

(serves 2)

• • 1 package (2 portions) jjol myeon
  • 2 cups (uncooked) soy bean sprouts (kongnamul (콩나물))
  • 2 cups shredded white cabbage
  • 1 cup baby greens (optional) (untraditional) (but highly recommended)
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)

1.  Boil the egg to the desired level of doneness.

TIP: I prefer mine medium, with a firm yet soft yolk (see 2.365 Perfectly Boiled Eggs), but hard-boiled is more traditional for this dish (for all Korean dishes).

2.  Once cooled, peel the egg and slice it lengthwise in half.

3.  Boil the bean sprouts for about 5 minutes until the heads are thoroughly cooked.

4.  Drain and rinse the bean sprouts in cold water, then squeeze out the excess moisture.

5.  Cook the noodles for 4 minutes in boiling water.

TIP: Before adding them to the water, I break up the noodles to prevent them from staying clumped and cooking unevenly.

6.  Drain and rinse the noodles in cold water.

7.  In a mixing bowl, combine the sauce (from the jjol myeon package) + sugar + sesame oil and stir until well incorporated.

8.  In a mixing bowl, combine the noodles + bean sprouts + sauce mix.

TIP: Despite what these photos show, steps 7 and 8 can be done in the same mixing bowl.

9.  Divide the noodle-sauce mixture into 2 serving bowls or deep plates and top with the cabbage + greens + egg + sesame seeds.

NOTE: Like parsley flakes in European cuisine, sesame seeds are a ubiquitous-yet-useless garnish for many Korean dishes; the Pulmuone sauce packet already includes sesame seeds.

10.  Serve immediately.

TIP: The dish works especially well to wrap a Korean BBQ meal.

(See also PULMUONE)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)