Japchae with Chicken Bulgogi

- Serves 4

Ingredients for Japchae with Chicken Bulgogi

400g chicken thighs, cut into 1” strips
½ cup pear, puréed
 ¼ cup onion, grated or puréed
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 green onion bulb, finely minced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar 
1½ tablespoons rice syrup
a pinch of ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sesame oil

8 large dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated in room temp water for 3 hours
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
1 large egg
120g spinach leaves, washed and drained
120g dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato starch noodles)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2-3 spring onions, cut into matchsticks 
1 medium carrot, cut into matchsticks 
½ red pepper, cut into thin strips
Ground black pepper or white pepper
Salt
Vegetable or olive oil

Recipe
  1. Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Add chicken and mix well. Refrigerate and let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes. Once ready, pan-fry on medium-high heat in batches with a drizzle of olive oil for 4-5 minutes on each side, turning occasionally until fully cooked. Remember not to overcrowd the pan so as to get a nice brown color on chicken. Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly to serve.
  2. Squeeze excess water out of shitake mushrooms, cut and discard stalk, then thinly slice mushroom heads.
  3. Put shitake mushrooms into a bowl and mix with 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil with a wooden spoon or by hand. Cover and set aside. 
  4. Separate the egg yolk from the egg white. Using a fork, beat the egg yolk with a pinch of salt. 
  5. On a heated non-stick pan, add a teaspoon of oil. Swirl the oil around so it covers the pan, and then gently wipe off the excess heated oil with a kitchen towel so only a thin layer remains on the pan. 
  6. Turn the heat off, pour the egg yolk in, spread using a spatula, then flip and cook the other side. Once done, set aside to cool for a few minutes, and slice into thin strips. Set aside.
  7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 30-60 seconds, then take it out with a slotted spoon or strainer. Keep the hot water for boiling noodles.
  8. Rinse the spinach in cold water to stop it from over-cooking. Squeeze it with your hands to remove any excess water. Chop it roughly and put it into a bowl. Mix with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. Place it in a large mixing bowl.
  9. Put the noodles into the boiling water, cover and cook for 1 minute. Stir them with a wooden spoon so they don’t stick together. Cover and keep cooking for another 5-6 minutes until the noodles are soft and chewy.
  10. Strain and cut the noodles a few times with kitchen scissors. Put the noodles into the large bowl next to the spinach. Immediately add 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Mix well by hand or a wooden spoon. This process will season the noodles and also keeps the noodles from sticking to each other.
  11. Heat up a skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil with the onion, spring onion, and a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until the onion looks a little translucent. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
  12. Heat up the skillet and add 1 teaspoon oil. Add the carrot and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes. Add the red bell pepper strips and stir-fry another 1-2 minutes. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
  13. Heat up the skillet and add 2 teaspoons oil. Add the marinated mushrooms and stir fry for a few minutes until the mushrooms are softened and shiny. Transfer to the noodle bowl.
  14. Mix and serve: Add 1 minced garlic clove, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, and 2 teaspoons of toasted sesame oil to the mixing bowl full of ingredients. Mix it all together by hand.
  15. Top with sliced egg yolk and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds scattered all over. Serve alongside sliced Chicken Bulgogi. Toss well to serve.
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