Jjamppong (Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup)

Ingredients

• 150 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 150 g squid, cleaned and cut into rings
• 250 g mussels, scrubbed
• 250 g udon noodles
• 7 dl vegetable stock
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp gochugaru
• 150 g napa cabbage, cut into 3 cm pieces
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 zucchini, halved lengthways and sliced
• 1 carrot, sliced thinly on the diagonal
• 4 garlic, sliced
• 15 g fresh ginger, finely grated
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 spring onion, cut into 4 cm lengths
• ½ tsp salt

Method

1. 1.

   Bloom the chilli in oil — Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over high heat until it shimmers, then pull the pot off the heat and stir in the gochugaru for 20-30 seconds. The oil should flush bright red without the flakes darkening — scorched chilli turns the whole broth bitter.

2. 2.

   Stir-fry the vegetables — Return the pot to high heat, add the garlic, ginger, onion and carrot and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then tip in the cabbage and zucchini and toss until the leaf edges start to wilt and catch a little colour.

3. 3.

   Build the broth — Pour the soy sauce down the hot side of the pot so it hisses, then add the stock and salt. Bring to a rolling boil and let it bubble hard for 5 minutes so the vegetables give up their sweetness to the broth.

4. 4.

   Steam the mussels open — Add the mussels, clamp on the lid and cook for 3 minutes, until they gape open. Discard any that stay shut.

5. 5.

   Add the seafood and noodles — Slide in the shrimp, squid and udon and cook for 2-3 minutes, just until the shrimp curl and turn pink, the squid rings go opaque and the noodles are heated through and loose. Do not push it further or the squid tightens to rubber.

6. 6.

   Bowl up and serve hot — Lift the noodles into two deep bowls with tongs, pile the seafood and vegetables on top and ladle the red broth over. Scatter with spring onion and eat straight away, while the udon is still springy.