Korean Sweet Potato Noodles (Japchae Noodles)
Jap chae, a traditional Korean dish made with glossy sweet potato noodles, is a great way to use whatever protein or vegetables you have in your fridge: Swap in bell peppers, alliums, tofu or even thinly sliced steak.
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces Korean-style vermicelli noodle
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, crushed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons mirin
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, julienned
- 3 ounces Broccolini, halved lengthwise
- 2 stalks of red Swiss chard, leaves chopped and stems thinly sliced
- 2 ounces oyster mushrooms, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, halved on the bias
- 1/2 cup fresh English peas
- 1 scallion, julienned
- Black sesame seeds
Cooking directions:
- In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the noodles until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain the noodles thoroughly and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Toss the noodles with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 2 teaspoons of the vegetable oil and spread in an even layer.
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In a small bowl, whisk the sesame oil with the crushed white sesame seeds, sugar and the remaining 2 tablespoons of soy sauce; season with salt.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and a pinch of salt. In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil. Add the egg and cook over moderate heat, swirling the pan to coat the bottom but not stirring, until the egg is just set, 2 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip the omelet and cook until just set, about 15 seconds more. Carefully slide onto a work surface and gently roll into a log, then slice into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
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In a large wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the shrimp, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and stir-fry over moderately high heat until the shrimp begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add the mirin and continue cooking until the shrimp are white throughout and the liquid has reduced, about 2 minutes more. Scrape the shrimp into a medium bowl. Wipe out the wok.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the wok. Add the red onion and carrots and stir-fry over moderately high heat until the carrots are almost tender, about 4 minutes. Add the Broccolini, Swiss chard stems and a generous pinch of salt and stir-fry until all the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the Swiss chard leaves, oyster mushrooms, sugar snaps and English peas and stir-fry until the mushrooms and peas are tender, about 2 minutes more.
- Add the noodles to the wok in batches, stirring well after each addition. Add the sauce and stir-fry until the noodles are warmed through, 3 minutes. Add the cooked shrimp and their juices to the wok along with half of the sliced egg and toss gently. Transfer the jap chae to bowls; garnish with the remaining egg, the scallion and black sesame seeds.
Product recommendations:
Assi Sweet Potato Noodles | Japchae Noodles (Medium) 1.5 LB (680 g)
Yamasa Brewed Soy Sauce 34 FL Oz (1000 mL)
Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil 22.1 FL Oz (654 mL)
Shirakiku Roasted Sesame Seeds Iri Goma 8 Oz (227 g)
J-Basket Roasted Black Sesame Seed 8 Oz (226 g)
Reference: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/stir-fried-sweet-potato-noodles-jap-chae