잡채: Revisited.
I made a test run a few days ago because I had a crazy hankering for some noodles.
I made a test run a few days ago because I had a crazy hankering for some noodles.
Luckily, these particular noodles (which btw I've had for a while, so idk if that's affecting the taste as well?)
had instructions in English on the back. (WOO!)
had instructions in English on the back. (WOO!)
The unfortunate part is when it came to seasoning, the instructions were vague, and I did my best but it was tasting a bit bland.
Only then did it come to mind to refer to Maangchi!
(I didn't think of it only bc there were already instructions on the package, and I thought it would carry me all the way.)
Only then did it come to mind to refer to Maangchi!
(I didn't think of it only bc there were already instructions on the package, and I thought it would carry me all the way.)
I know some of you are saying, "why is there cabbage..."
I was craving noodles and cabbage.
The description of how to season the noodles/sauce was lacking, therefore I google'd Maangchi's JapChae recipe.
I was craving noodles and cabbage.
The description of how to season the noodles/sauce was lacking, therefore I google'd Maangchi's JapChae recipe.
So here are the non meat ingredients, minus the minced garlic (that comes much later in the programme).
Maangchi's recipe is for four servings.
I am winging it with the amount of stuff here for the most part because I have an extra serving to deal with and don't want to go through all the math and find out exactly how much more I have to hunt/gather/cut.
For example it said
ONE medium carrot, cut into matchstick pieces.
I already know I am way too lazy for that
(and btw I'm not fast in the kitchen either. I also work on an electric stove vs gas.)
This was not something I wanted to take time doing, so I bought a bag of matchstick carrots and used half the bag (ish).
7-8 green onions cut into 5-7cm pieces.
[I also winged that, because I'm not good at guestimating measurements in cm, but that looked about right] :)
One bunch of spinach.
There was a bag of spinach out, so I also just guestimated, especially since it will be cooked and cut up later.
I decided more is better than less.
One medium onion sliced thinly.
You are going to cook these until they are transluscent later, so yes. cut as thin as you can but not like tissue paper.
Six(?) dried Shiitake mushrooms
I was at an american grocery store so I decided not to be tooooo picky, since they had bulk shiitake mushrooms out.
I do understand why she probably listed 'dried' versus regular produce.
It was really hard to find good ones. A lot in the bin were a light brown and drying out vs the dark brown you're used to.
I had a mix of varying shades of brown. :/
What I did is I washed them, sliced them being sure to not use the stems because they were really dried out or any other questionable looking parts. I wrapped them in a paper towel and squeezed the excess moisture out. Unwrap the towel and place the mushroom pieces aside in a bowl.
Two Cups white mushroom
I bought some cremini that were also in bulk at the grocery.
They were much less maintenance than the shiitake
Other things you will need,
3 cloves of garlic (I also winged that one)
150g (.33lb according to google) of beef, thin cut (you can get at the deli), thinly sliced into strips *by you*
olive oil
sugar (or in my case agave, as I chose to use it as a substitute)
ground black pepper (I used a pepper mill)
sesame oil
soy sauce
sesame seeds (worry about it later)
Things I suggest based on my trial and error
Two REALLY large bowls one for the veggies you stir fry, another for the noodles
Scissors JUST for noodles
A FANTASTIC meat knife
A Large Sieve
A bowl for catching the water you drain from the sieve (noodle water)
Maangchi's recipe is for four servings.
I am winging it with the amount of stuff here for the most part because I have an extra serving to deal with and don't want to go through all the math and find out exactly how much more I have to hunt/gather/cut.
For example it said
ONE medium carrot, cut into matchstick pieces.
I already know I am way too lazy for that
(and btw I'm not fast in the kitchen either. I also work on an electric stove vs gas.)
This was not something I wanted to take time doing, so I bought a bag of matchstick carrots and used half the bag (ish).
7-8 green onions cut into 5-7cm pieces.
[I also winged that, because I'm not good at guestimating measurements in cm, but that looked about right] :)
One bunch of spinach.
There was a bag of spinach out, so I also just guestimated, especially since it will be cooked and cut up later.
I decided more is better than less.
One medium onion sliced thinly.
You are going to cook these until they are transluscent later, so yes. cut as thin as you can but not like tissue paper.
Six(?) dried Shiitake mushrooms
I was at an american grocery store so I decided not to be tooooo picky, since they had bulk shiitake mushrooms out.
I do understand why she probably listed 'dried' versus regular produce.
It was really hard to find good ones. A lot in the bin were a light brown and drying out vs the dark brown you're used to.
I had a mix of varying shades of brown. :/
What I did is I washed them, sliced them being sure to not use the stems because they were really dried out or any other questionable looking parts. I wrapped them in a paper towel and squeezed the excess moisture out. Unwrap the towel and place the mushroom pieces aside in a bowl.
Two Cups white mushroom
I bought some cremini that were also in bulk at the grocery.
They were much less maintenance than the shiitake
Other things you will need,
3 cloves of garlic (I also winged that one)
150g (.33lb according to google) of beef, thin cut (you can get at the deli), thinly sliced into strips *by you*
olive oil
sugar (or in my case agave, as I chose to use it as a substitute)
ground black pepper (I used a pepper mill)
sesame oil
soy sauce
sesame seeds (worry about it later)
Things I suggest based on my trial and error
Two REALLY large bowls one for the veggies you stir fry, another for the noodles
Scissors JUST for noodles
A FANTASTIC meat knife
A Large Sieve
A bowl for catching the water you drain from the sieve (noodle water)
So while these bad boys were boiling...
that is when I cleaned/cut/sliced the veggies.
that is when I cleaned/cut/sliced the veggies.
SOOO
if you haven't already set the oils and such aside, this would be a good time.
Olive oil for pan frying, Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil for seasoning everything, and I substituted the agave for sugar.
'Why,' you ask?
I figure I'm cooking/seasoning with it, so wouldn't it be better to use something already in liquid form versus using sugar where I probably will have texture added when I wasn't planning for it? (This is only the second time attempting this.)
Also, you're going to need some ground black pepper
(I used a pepper mill.)
and toasted sesame seeds (because it's kind of boring when they aren't toasted.)
I toasted mine near the end, so don't worry.
That inconspicuous bag that says, '$0.23' would be the bag of bulk sesame seeds I bought.
Obviously, you don't need to stock pile the sesame seeds, a little seriously goes a long way.
DON'T BUY A POUND OF SESAME SEEDS.
if you haven't already set the oils and such aside, this would be a good time.
Olive oil for pan frying, Soy Sauce and Sesame Oil for seasoning everything, and I substituted the agave for sugar.
'Why,' you ask?
I figure I'm cooking/seasoning with it, so wouldn't it be better to use something already in liquid form versus using sugar where I probably will have texture added when I wasn't planning for it? (This is only the second time attempting this.)
Also, you're going to need some ground black pepper
(I used a pepper mill.)
and toasted sesame seeds (because it's kind of boring when they aren't toasted.)
I toasted mine near the end, so don't worry.
That inconspicuous bag that says, '$0.23' would be the bag of bulk sesame seeds I bought.
Obviously, you don't need to stock pile the sesame seeds, a little seriously goes a long way.
DON'T BUY A POUND OF SESAME SEEDS.
So as my noodles boiled, and after all the veggies were cleaned/cut/sliced, I prepped the pan.
Took some olive oil (I'm pretty generous with olive oil, it's a personal preference.) and started to fry everything. lol
Took some olive oil (I'm pretty generous with olive oil, it's a personal preference.) and started to fry everything. lol
Carrots first.
After stirring them the instructed 30 seconds, I took them out and placed them in a large bowl.
After stirring them the instructed 30 seconds, I took them out and placed them in a large bowl.
Next were the onions. Add some more olive oil then stir fry.
These you want to stir around until translucent.
These you want to stir around until translucent.
Then they join their comrades in the mentioned 'large bowl.'
Add olive oil, add the green onion you cut, stir around for a minute...
Then they too join their friends in the, 'large bowl.'
Some of you are going back and forth from Maangchi's recipe and are already saying, 'why is this girl skipping steps?!'
A: My noodles say to boil for 10 minutes... so I have time to do other things while they boil.
B: I honestly didn't see Step 7 on her recipe.
By the time I was stirring the green onions I was getting angsty because I couldn't find anything on the white mushrooms, just the shiitake. Lo and behold, my eyes skipped those lines.
wooooomp
Some of you are going back and forth from Maangchi's recipe and are already saying, 'why is this girl skipping steps?!'
A: My noodles say to boil for 10 minutes... so I have time to do other things while they boil.
B: I honestly didn't see Step 7 on her recipe.
By the time I was stirring the green onions I was getting angsty because I couldn't find anything on the white mushrooms, just the shiitake. Lo and behold, my eyes skipped those lines.
wooooomp
Now you're like, 'whuttheheezy, you're skipping again!!!!!'
Au contraire, newly acquired online friend/stalker:
By now my noodles 10minutes are now up, and to my dismay my mom is clearing things in the vacant sink I need to drain said noodles.
So, I am trying not to burn the onions still in the pan, and get these noodles off heat so I can drain and rinse a few times.
I take the pan off heat, drain the noddles, with a bowl underneath to catch the water, move the noodles into yet ANOTHER large bowl, take the noodle water and place it back in the pan to reboil so I can deal with the spinach, then go back to the noodles, place it back into the sieve, rinse it out a few times, shakey shakey shakey, place back into this large bowl (not the ones with veggies in it), and cut the noodles with tongs and a knife.
Why don't I use scissors?
honestly, my family uses scissors for cutting mostly fish and I don't trust how they maintain those scissors, and cross contamination just freaks me out even at the slightest though... so I got creative.
I highly suggest having a set of scissors just for noodles though, so you don't have the same ordeal.
Also, I love long noodles, BUT after the first round, I totally understood why Maangchi says to cut them.
It's hard to transfer, and trying to get them into/out of the sieve was a bit of a chore.
I add the soy sauce and sesame oil, mix it up and set aside.
I used 1.5tbsp of each just because I have 5 servings (ish) of noodles that I am preparing.
The green onion has been safely transferred into the large bowl of veggies without charring.
Now the noodle water is re-boiling, so I place the spinach in there and gently stir for a minute.
I remove the spinach and rinse it out in a sieve twice before realizing I should have pit it in a bowl, stirred it around *gently* and THEN perhaps rinsed it in the sieve.
I then place it in my hand and gently squeeze the excess water.
I re-read the 'cut into 5cm piece,' and immediately thought, 'there's no way I'm going to open up allll these leaves and cut them so nicely.'
I tried with three, but I know I'm not that patient/ocd/much of a perfectionist to do that.
So I kind of bunched them up like a roll, and started slicing. meh, worked for me.
like one inch along lol so three cuts or so along this roll?
Then the spinach also joins the rest of the veggies.
Au contraire, newly acquired online friend/stalker:
By now my noodles 10minutes are now up, and to my dismay my mom is clearing things in the vacant sink I need to drain said noodles.
So, I am trying not to burn the onions still in the pan, and get these noodles off heat so I can drain and rinse a few times.
I take the pan off heat, drain the noddles, with a bowl underneath to catch the water, move the noodles into yet ANOTHER large bowl, take the noodle water and place it back in the pan to reboil so I can deal with the spinach, then go back to the noodles, place it back into the sieve, rinse it out a few times, shakey shakey shakey, place back into this large bowl (not the ones with veggies in it), and cut the noodles with tongs and a knife.
Why don't I use scissors?
honestly, my family uses scissors for cutting mostly fish and I don't trust how they maintain those scissors, and cross contamination just freaks me out even at the slightest though... so I got creative.
I highly suggest having a set of scissors just for noodles though, so you don't have the same ordeal.
Also, I love long noodles, BUT after the first round, I totally understood why Maangchi says to cut them.
It's hard to transfer, and trying to get them into/out of the sieve was a bit of a chore.
I add the soy sauce and sesame oil, mix it up and set aside.
I used 1.5tbsp of each just because I have 5 servings (ish) of noodles that I am preparing.
The green onion has been safely transferred into the large bowl of veggies without charring.
Now the noodle water is re-boiling, so I place the spinach in there and gently stir for a minute.
I remove the spinach and rinse it out in a sieve twice before realizing I should have pit it in a bowl, stirred it around *gently* and THEN perhaps rinsed it in the sieve.
I then place it in my hand and gently squeeze the excess water.
I re-read the 'cut into 5cm piece,' and immediately thought, 'there's no way I'm going to open up allll these leaves and cut them so nicely.'
I tried with three, but I know I'm not that patient/ocd/much of a perfectionist to do that.
So I kind of bunched them up like a roll, and started slicing. meh, worked for me.
like one inch along lol so three cuts or so along this roll?
Then the spinach also joins the rest of the veggies.
Add oil. Add white mushrooms previously cut.
FINALLY the creminis get their time in the pan.
FINALLY the creminis get their time in the pan.
This is when I decide to mince up the garlic.
Set aside.
Set aside.
Then the creminis, or whatever white mushrooms you chose, join their other veggie buddies in the bowl.
You can finally set these guys somewhere away from the stove for a bit.
You can finally set these guys somewhere away from the stove for a bit.
Take your meat (150g/.33lb.)
Slice thin.
I had a hard time.
I probably wasn't using an appropriate knife (or a very sharp one for that matter),
but I stacked the slices on top of each other then cut through all three at one time.
Made it easier.
I had a hard time.
I probably wasn't using an appropriate knife (or a very sharp one for that matter),
but I stacked the slices on top of each other then cut through all three at one time.
Made it easier.
Add oil, add the meat and cook well.
I decided to do the meat first and get most of the red out before adding the shiitake.
Then I stirred that around a bit before adding the garlic.
I then added 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the agave.
I decided not to put too much this time around, since I figured I'd be adding more of that later to taste.
Stir for another 30 seconds.
Then I placed it into the bowl with the veggies.
At this point, the pan is empty so I lower the heat and place the sesame seeds to get toasty while I deal with mixing the ingredients together.
I decided to do the meat first and get most of the red out before adding the shiitake.
Then I stirred that around a bit before adding the garlic.
I then added 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the agave.
I decided not to put too much this time around, since I figured I'd be adding more of that later to taste.
Stir for another 30 seconds.
Then I placed it into the bowl with the veggies.
At this point, the pan is empty so I lower the heat and place the sesame seeds to get toasty while I deal with mixing the ingredients together.
So I added 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 3 tablespoons agave, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, and ground a bunch of black pepper into my noodle bowl.
I then added the veggies/meat on top.
To my dismay there was no way to neatly mix the ingredients together so lucky for me, the bowl I placed the noodles into had a lid. LOL
placed it on tight and with both hands I shook it like it was going out of style.
Then you place the sesame seeds on top.
See? a little goes a long way.
What did I learn?
A: my 'LARGE' bowls were not large enough, or else it would have been easier to mix everything at the end.
Note to self: BUY BIGGER BOWLS.
B: Substituting agave was a pretty good idea. It didn't add a weird taste.
I was thinking of using ginger syrup but decided that may actually affect the taste.
Maybe next time I'll see how it tastes using little soya instead of regular soy sauce.
C: Make sure to have better knives at the beginning of prep so I don't go through three knives trying to cut the meat...
D: I still skip lines when I read. boooooooo.
This took me 2h from start to finish
(mostly bc I'm slow and I was trying to find the step about the white mushrooms.)
Pricing:
Overall this was less than $15 dollars.
This is not including the spinach (they were lying around)
black pepper, sesame seed oil, agave, olive oil (because they are always in the pantry)
and the noodles (because I don't remember how much they were. I've been hoarding them for a while.)
I then added the veggies/meat on top.
To my dismay there was no way to neatly mix the ingredients together so lucky for me, the bowl I placed the noodles into had a lid. LOL
placed it on tight and with both hands I shook it like it was going out of style.
Then you place the sesame seeds on top.
See? a little goes a long way.
What did I learn?
A: my 'LARGE' bowls were not large enough, or else it would have been easier to mix everything at the end.
Note to self: BUY BIGGER BOWLS.
B: Substituting agave was a pretty good idea. It didn't add a weird taste.
I was thinking of using ginger syrup but decided that may actually affect the taste.
Maybe next time I'll see how it tastes using little soya instead of regular soy sauce.
C: Make sure to have better knives at the beginning of prep so I don't go through three knives trying to cut the meat...
D: I still skip lines when I read. boooooooo.
This took me 2h from start to finish
(mostly bc I'm slow and I was trying to find the step about the white mushrooms.)
Pricing:
Overall this was less than $15 dollars.
This is not including the spinach (they were lying around)
black pepper, sesame seed oil, agave, olive oil (because they are always in the pantry)
and the noodles (because I don't remember how much they were. I've been hoarding them for a while.)
Bulk shiitake mushrooms
Bulk cremini Bag sweet onions Bulk white hulled sesame seeds matchstick carrots beef slices |
.12 lbs
.33 lbs 2 lbs .05 lbs 10oz/284g IDK XD, but likely < .33 lb total, (-) spinach and noodles (roughly) per serving |
$1.20
$0.63 $1.96 $0.23 $1.78 $2.42 $8.22 $1.65 |
LINKS!
#hulled #sesameseeds
#japchae aka #잡채
sweet potato #vermicelli
#Agave Syrup
Soy Sauce
#OliveOil
#SesameSeedOil
A #MeatKnife to consider
#Mixing #PrepBowl set #Sieve #Collander |