Shrimp Japchae (Korean Glass Noodles)
I ate piles of this while spending a year in South Korea.
Q: "Does that make you an expert on it?"
A: Resounding no! It just makes me another dickbag bluggist working in annoying references to their past travels. But I digress.. This is my version of an easy Japchae and I have tried to not bastardize the popular Korean dish. These glass noodles have an amazing chew to them and deserve to be more popular.
quickie
• Prep the shrimp
• Smash up the veg
• Cook the noodles
• Sauté the veg, then the shrimp
• Mix it all together and turn it into poo
Serves:
• 2 heavies. Probably 3-4 skinnies.
Nutritional information:
• I heard that sweet potato noodles are gluten free. Hit me up in the comments to tell me if I’m spreading filthy lies.
Serves well with:
• I had it on it’s own and wasn’t disappointed. It hits most of the food groups.
Grocery List:
• 250-300 grams shrimp (preferably large)
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 carrot
• 1 cup julienned cabbage
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 sweet pepper
• 300 g mushrooms, mix of cremini and shiitake (about 3 cups)
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic
• 225 grams sweet potato noodles
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 1.5 tbsp chili garlic sauce
• 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp honey
• Vegetable oil
• Toasted sesame seeds
LEARNING IS FUN!
This dish is more commonly made with beef but you can use any protein you like. If you want a more traditional version, I’ve made this one before 🍜 and it was delish! Also Sue is from South Korea, and from my experience Koreans are generally better at making Korean food than those of us raised in Alliston, Ontario. However my easy shrimp version is also dope on a rope.
LESS quickie
I forgot to put a carrot in the picture. And some sesame seeds. Will you ever forgive me..
Process:
Peel and devein the shrimp. Toss them in a few heavy pinches of salt, a crushed garlic clove and 1/2 tsp chili flakes and let marinade while you prep everything else. ***Optionally, if you want more flavourful shrimp you can add 1-2 tbsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp honey. If I get great looking fresh shrimp from a reliable joint, I sometimes don’t like to mask the taste. But if I’ve pulled a bag out of the freezer that doesn’t instill confidence, I’ll sauce ‘em up for a quick marinade.***
Chop up the mushrooms and thinly slice or julienne the carrot, cabbage, red onion, and sweet pepper.
Cook the sweet potato noodles per package instructions, on the lower end of the time given (mine were medium vermicelli and said 8-10 minutes, so I did 8). Rinse in cold water to stop them from cooking and drain thoroughly. Cut the noodles with kitchen scissors a few times (into roughly 6-8" lengths). This sounds like a weird move, but only cause it is. But it's also legit. Toss the noodles with about half of the sesame oil to keep them from sticking, and set aside.
Normally I would put a picture of one of the cooking stages here but I forgot to take any so here's a picture of Gary Roberts.
Heat a splash of vegetable oil in a large skillet on medium/high and sauté the mushrooms until most of the water is gone, about 5 minutes. Add another splash of oil if needed, and toss in the carrot, cabbage, red onion, sweet pepper, and continue to sauté for another 4-5 minutes. The vegetables should keep a little firmness for this recipe. Add the garlic and keep cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
In a separate pan heat a splash of oil on medium heat and sauté the shrimp. The time will depend on the size of the shrimp. Large shrimp will take about 2-3 minutes a side.
When the vegetables are done add the noodles, then the rest of the sesame oil, the soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, and honey, and mix thoroughly. Taste for flavour and adjust with soy/sesame/chili garlic/honey if you wish.
Add the shrimp and toss for a minute.
Serve with the sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds.
