Monday, February 18, 2008

SPICY KOREAN CABBAGE with NOODLES

For sauce:

  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons Korean hot-pepper paste (If you aren't able to find Korean hot-pepper paste, substitute 3/4 teaspoon Chinese chile paste and reduce the amount of soy sauce to 1/4 cup. OR, add dried chile pepper powder to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon unrefined sugar or honey

For noodles:

  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
  • 10 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 1/4 pound Chinese Cabbage, thinly sliced (8 cups)
  • 6 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 8 to 9 ounces soba (buckwheat noodles)

Stir together all sauce ingredients until brown sugar is dissolved, then set aside.Toast sesame seeds in a dry 12-inch heavy skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, stirring, until pale golden, then transfer to a small bowl. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shiitakes and sauté, stirring frequently, until tender and starting to brown, about 6 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, then add cabbage and most of scallions (reserve about a tablespoon for garnish) and cook, stirring occasionally, until cabbage is tenderadding a little water if necessary. Add sauce and simmer 2 minutes.While cabbage is cooking, cook soba and edamame together in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 6 quarts water) until noodles are just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cool water to stop cooking and remove excess starch, then drain well again. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with sesame seeds and vegetable mixture. Serve sprinkled with reserved scallions.

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