Dinner, Eggs, Kimchi, Korean, Lactose Free, Pasta, Ramen, Recipes

Kimchi Udon with Scallions

May 22, 2024

I made another batch of kimchi last week so here goes….kimchi udon with scallions and a silky egg yolk to top things off. This is a dreamy kind of noodle dish. The butter and egg yolk transform plain udon into extraordinary udon and the kimchi and gochujang sauce provides the perfect amount of spiciness to the springy noodles.

The original recipe calls for room temperature egg yolks. But I prefer to take an extra step to ensure the yolks I’m using are safe to eat. By pasteurizing the egg via sous vide, it is completely acceptable to eat without worrying about harmful bacteria. If you do not own a sous vide device, you can check your local markets for pasteurized eggs (not to be confused with pasture raised). I haven’t seen pasteurized eggs at any Maui markets so in this case I would suggest using a soft poached egg.

You will want to purchase fresh udon (or frozen) for this dish. Dried udon won’t have the same texture. It is much thinner and lacks that bouncy texture you find with fresh noodles. Here on Maui you can find fresh Sun Noodle udon at Island Grocery.

The kimchi, gochujang and butter (umami bomb!) are fried for a bit before adding the cooked noodles. You can use your favorite store-bought kimchi for this recipe.

The egg yolk mixed in with the hot kimchi udon creates a velvety sauce that makes this dish extra fancy. Grab your chopsticks and dive in to what may become your new favorite bowl of udon.

Kimchi Udon with Scallions

Recipe by Kiyo

Servings

servings

Adapted from Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients

2 1/2 tablespoons Miyoko’s vegan butter or regular unsalted butter
1/2 cup finely chopped kimchi, plus 2 tablespoons kimchi juice
1 tablespoon gochujang
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
8 ounces fresh or frozen udon noodles
2 pasteurized egg yolks at room temperature or substitute with soft poached eggs
2 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon Miyoko’s vegan butter (or regular butter) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped kimchi and gochujang and cook, stirring occasionally , until kimchi is softened and lightly browned, about 3 minutes (adjust heat as needed). Add broth (or water) and kimchi juice and bring to a simmer. Cook until liquid is slightly reduced, about 2 minutes
Using tongs, transfer noodles to skillet with sauce and add remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons Miyoko’s vegan butter (or regular butter). Cook, tossing often, until sauce coats noodles, 1-2 minutes. Taste and season with salt if needed.
Divide noodles among two bowls and top each with an egg yolk. Scatter scallions and sesame seeds over the udon. Serve immediately.

Notes

Sous vide eggs at 135 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Place in ice bath to cool, then transfer eggs to refrigerator if making in advance. Separate egg yolks from whites (save whites for another use) and let yolks come to room temperature before serving, about 30 minutes.

Dinner, Eggs, Japanese, Lactose Free, Pasta, Recipes, Vegetarian

Life Changing Udon

July 10, 2021

In the May issue of Food & Wine magazine, Hetty McKinnon (cookbook and food writer) tells the story of her visit to Tokyo and how a simple bowl of udon became life-changing. The noodles were toothsome, served with a perfectly cooked jammy egg, green onions and a bit of flavorful broth. It was served with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper scattered over the top which paired perfectly with the udon. After reading the article, I was determined to prepare this noodle dish. Now, more than a month has gone by and I’ve made it at least three times, and every bowl has been as delightful as the last.

Sun Noodle sells fresh udon at Island Grocery market in Kahului. I will go out of my way to pick up a package of their excellent udon and ramen even if they are the only items I’ll buy that day.

I just love eggs, especially ones with soft yolks. The eggs I made for this dish are boiled for exactly six minutes and 50 seconds. They are quickly transferred to an ice bath to stop the cooking. You can use them as is, or make soy sauce eggs if you have extra time. Either way, the egg turns out perfectly with jammy centers and fully cooked whites.

It’s such a simple recipe with easy to find ingredients. The baby bok choy adds color and crunch, but it is optional. Don’t skip the green onions, egg, and pepper. Sometimes I will sprinkle shichimi togarashi pepper over the noodles to add a bit of spice to the dish. This recipe does not have a lot of broth. If you prefer more, increase that part of the recipe. However, I find that there is just enough to keep the udon hot, and the soup gets slurped up when the bowl is empty of noodles.

Life Changing Udon

Save Print

Adapted from Hetty McKinnon's recipe

Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 4

Ingredients

4 large eggs
2 cups vegetable stock
3 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons mirin
1½ pounds (24 ounces) fresh udon noodles
4 tablespoons Buttery Sticks, divided (or regular unsalted butter)
½ cup finely sliced green onions, green and white tender stems
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil
flaky sea salt for the eggs
shichimi togarashi Japanese pepper, optional

Preparation

Fill a small saucepan with water; bring to a boil over high heat. Gently lower eggs into boiling water. Set timer for 6 minutes and 50 seconds. Once water returns to boiling, lower the heat slightly to maintain a gentle boil. Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice water. Once the eggs have cooked, transfer to the ice water bath immediately. Let cool for a few minutes before peeling.
Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile, stir together the vegetable stock, soy sauce, and mirin in a small saucepan. Cook over low, stirring occasionally, until hot, about 6 minutes. Add noodles to boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente. Drain noodles, and divide evenly among 4 bowls.
Pour hot soy sauce broth over each bowl of noodles. Add a tablespoon of butter to each bowl and allow to melt into the noodles and broth. Halve the eggs and top each bowl with 2 egg halves. Sprinkle a bit of flaky sea salt and black pepper over the eggs. Add the green onions and scatter a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper over the noodles. Finish with a drizzle of sesame oil before serving. Serve with shichimi togarashi pepper (optional).

Sun Noodle Fresh Udon

Kimchi Udon with Scallions