Cold Spicy Mixed Noodles, Bibim Naengmyeon

비빔냉면

1. Make pickled radish 1 (Optional)

Peel, wash and slice 8 oz (227g) Korean radish very thinly (⅜” x 2” x 1/16” or 1cm X 5cm X 0.2cm). In a bowl, mix the sliced radish and 2 tablespoon of coarse sea salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes. (Optional: If it’s too salty, rinse once and squeeze the water out.)

200g radish

• peel
• wash
• slice (1cm X 5cm X 0.2cm).

Mix

• sliced radish
• 2 tbs coarse sea salt
• let it sit 30 min

2. Make pickled radish 2 (Optional)

Add 6 tablespoons of vinegar and 6 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle 4 teaspoons of red chili flakes (optional) through a fine strainer. Mix well with your hand. Put it in a container and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours.

Add

• 6 tbs vinegar
• 6 tbs sugar
• 4 tsp red chili flakes (optional) through fine strainer

Mix well

Refrigerate

• 180+ min

3. Make seasoning sauce

In a food processor blend together: 2 tablespoons of gochujang (hot pepper paste), 2 tablespoons of red chili flakes, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, 4 tablespoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, ⅛ of large Korean pear or ¼ bosc pear (washed and peeled), ⅛ of onion, 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds and 3 tablespoons of beef bone broth (or your favorite broth) . Refrigerate it while preparing other ingredients.

Blend together

• 2 tbs hot pepper paste
• 2 tbs red chili flakes
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• 2 tbs vinegar
• 4 tbs sugar
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• ⅛ large Korean pear
• ⅛ onion
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 3 tbs beef bone broth

Refrigerate

4. Hard boil egg

OPTIONAL: Place 1 egg (or more as you desire) in a pot of water so that they are at least half immersed in the water. Add a pinch of salt and boil for 15 minutes. Immediately cool them in cold water and peel off the shells. Cut them in halves.

Hard boil egg

• add pinch of salt
• 15 minHigh Heat

Cool in cold water

Peel

Cut in ½

5. Prepare garnish

Wash, peel and slice (or julienne) ¼ Korean pear. Wash & peel ½ cucumber. Remove any seeds. Julienne the cucumber.

¼ Korean pear

• wash
• peel
• slice (or julienne) thinly

½ cucumber

• wash & Peel
• cut into 2” (or 5cm) long
• discard seeds
• julienne

6. Cook noodles

Cook the buckwheat noodles in boiling water until soft (1-5 min depending on the brand) and drain water. (Follow the directions of the package you have. Cooking time may vary depending on the brand.) It is important NOT to overcook the noodles. Rinse the noodles in COLD water immediately to stop cooking. Continue to rinse in COLD water while gently running through the noodles with your fingers until there is no starch coming out.

Boil water

Cook

• 2 servings buckwheat noodles
• until soft

Drain water

Rinse

• COLD WATER
• several times

7. Cook noodles

Completely drain the water out in a strainer. Divide the noodles into 2 servings right away and set it aside. It will be hard to divide the noodles later since they becomes sticky. Prepare the noodles just before serving Naengmyeon noodles become soggy and sticky very quickly.

Drain

Divide into 2

8. Serve

Place the noodles in each serving bowl and pour the seasoning sauce on top. Garnish with a few slices of Korean pear, julienned cucumber, picked radishes (optional), and a half hard-boiled egg. Serve with pickled radish, vinegar and geoja (Korean mustard paste) on the side. Just before eating, people can add vinegar and geoja to their liking and mix everything thoroughly. Also the noodles are usually cut to individual preference with scissors before eating but this is not required. Pickled radish on the side is eaten with the noodles as a complementary side dish.

Noodles in each bowl

On top

• Korean pear
• cucumber
• pickled radishes (optional)
• ½ boiled egg

On the side

• vinegar
• Korean mustard paste
• pickled radish