Sujebi

Dough rested two hours so it can be torn into pieces thin enough to see light through, dropped straight into the broth.

Fish. Not vegetarian — contains fish.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 300 g plain flour
• 150 ml cold water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil

For the soup

• 1.5 litres anchovy and kelp stock, as on its own page
• 2 potatoes, in thin half moons
• 1 courgette, in half moons
• 1 onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon gochugaru, optional
• 3 spring onions, sliced
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. THE DOUGH IS RESTED TWO HOURS SO IT CAN BE TORN THIN. That is the entire technique and it cannot be hurried. A rested dough stretches: a piece pulled between thumb and fingers goes thin enough in the middle to see light through before it parts. Unrested, it tears at whatever thickness it happens to be, and you get stodgy lumps with raw centres. Two hours minimum, four is better, and overnight in the fridge is best of all.
2. IT IS TORN, NOT CUT, and that is the difference from the kalguksu on this site -- same flour, same broth, and there the dough is rolled flat and cut with a knife into even strips. Here every piece is a different shape with a thin middle and a thicker ragged rim, which is why the texture of a spoonful varies.
3. THEY ARE TORN DIRECTLY INTO THE BOILING BROTH, one at a time, with wet hands. Torn onto a board first they stick to each other and to it within a minute.
4. AND THEY ARE DROPPED IN OVER THREE OR FOUR MINUTES, not all at once. The broth must stay at a boil; a whole batch in together drops the temperature and they sink and go gluey on the base.
5. THE POTATO GOES IN FIRST AND IS PART OF THE THICKENING. It breaks down a little and, with the dough's starch, gives the soup its body. There is no flour or cream in this.
6. Flour and salt mixed, the water and oil added, and kneaded 5 minutes to a smooth firm dough.
7. Wrapped and RESTED 2 HOURS at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge.
8. The stock brought to the boil with the onion, garlic and soy sauce.
9. The potatoes added and cooked 10 minutes until nearly tender.
10. The gochugaru stirred in if using.
11. The broth brought to a ROLLING BOIL.
12. A piece of dough held in a wet hand and pieces about 5 cm across PULLED THIN and torn straight into the pan, over 3 or 4 minutes, so the boil never stops.
13. Cooked 5 MINUTES from the last piece going in, until they float and look translucent at the edges.
14. The courgette added for the final 2 minutes. Tasted and salted.
15. Ladled out at once, spring onion and pepper over. Like the kalguksu, this does not stand -- the dough keeps drinking the broth.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under South Korea · All recipes