Dotori-guksu (도토리국수, Acorn Noodles)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium pot for anchovy-kelp broth
• •Fine strainer
• •Large pot for boiling noodles
• •Large colander
• •Four stainless steel or deep ceramic noodle bowls

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the broth

   Put the water, kelp, anchovies, onion, and dried shiitake, if using, in a pot over medium heat. When the water reaches a steady simmer, pull out the kelp. Leave it too long and the broth turns slick and bitter, which is not the bitterness we want here. Simmer the anchovies, onion, and mushroom for 10 minutes more, then strain. You should have about 5 1/2 cups of clean broth.

   Take the heads and dark guts out of the anchovies before they go into the pot. That small work keeps the broth clear instead of harsh.
2. 2

   Season and chill

   While the broth is still warm, stir in 2 tablespoons soup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, the maesil-cheong or sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste it once warm, then again when cold. Cold dulls salt and acid, so the broth should taste a little more direct than you think it should. Set the pot in an ice bath for 25 to 30 minutes, or chill it in the refrigerator until very cold.

3. 3

   Salt the cucumber

   Toss the julienned cucumber with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let it stand 10 minutes. Squeeze it gently, just enough to remove excess water, then season with 1 teaspoon rice vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil. This keeps the cucumber crisp and stops it from watering down the broth.

4. 4

   Season the greens

   Blanch the chwinamul, minari, or spinach in boiling water just until bright and flexible: 20 seconds for minari, 40 seconds for spinach, about 1 minute for tender chwinamul. Rinse cold, squeeze dry, and cut into 2-inch lengths. Season in its own bowl with 1 teaspoon soup soy sauce, the garlic, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Taste one stem. It should be clean and nutty, not salty. Season each namul (seasoned vegetable) alone before it meets the noodles, or every green loses its own voice.

   Dried chwinamul is good, but it is not the weeknight path. It needs soaking and simmering first. Use fresh greens tonight and write down the dried version for a slower day.
5. 5

   Prepare the toppings

   Slice the perilla leaves and scallions, halve the eggs if using, and cut the gim into thin strips. Crush the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame seeds lightly between your fingers or in a small mortar. Crushed sesame gives aroma without making the bowl oily.

6. 6

   Boil the noodles

   Bring a large pot of water to a hard boil and add the dotori-guksu. Stir right away so the noodles do not settle and stick. Cook according to the package, usually 4 to 6 minutes. Acorn and buckwheat make a tender noodle; one careless extra minute can make it break instead of chew.

7. 7

   Rinse them cold

   Drain the noodles and rinse under cold running water, rubbing them between your hands until the surface starch is gone and the noodles feel cool and clean. Drain hard. Do not let them sit in water, because they will drink it and turn dull.

8. 8

   Assemble the bowls

   Divide the noodles among four chilled bowls and coil them loosely. Pour about 1 1/4 cups cold broth into each bowl. Add a small handful of seasoned greens, a neat pile of cucumber, perilla, scallion, egg if using, gim if using, and crushed sesame. Add a few ice cubes only if the broth is not cold enough. Serve at once, with extra vinegar and soup soy sauce at the table, not gochujang. The acorn's taste is the point.

Chef Tips

• •Read the noodle package. Good dotori-guksu should list acorn powder or acorn starch, not only coloring. Most dried noodles also include wheat because acorn and buckwheat alone do not bind well. This is not a gluten-free dish unless the package says so plainly.
• •Do not grind raw acorns for this recipe. Acorns must be soaked and leached properly to remove harsh tannins before they become food. Buy prepared acorn noodles or prepared acorn starch from a Korean market.
• •Cook the month you're standing in. In spring, use chwinamul. In summer, use cucumber, minari, and perilla. In winter, spinach is honest and better than tired wild greens pretending to be fresh.
• •The safe shortcut is the broth, not the rinse. A good anchovy-kelp tea bag or prepared unsalted anchovy broth can help on a work night, but you still season it yourself and chill it hard. The noodles still need boiling at the last minute and a cold, thorough rinse.
• •Serve this with baechu kimchi or yeolmu-kimchi on the side and cold boricha (barley tea). A dry, lightly chilled makgeolli also suits the acorn's bitterness.

Advance Preparation

• •The broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and kept refrigerated. For a colder bowl, freeze 1 cup of the seasoned broth in an ice cube tray and use those cubes instead of plain ice.
• •The greens can be blanched and seasoned up to 6 hours ahead. Keep them covered and cold, then taste before serving because cold food often needs a small correction.
• •Do not cook the noodles ahead. Dotori-guksu loses its clean chew as it sits, even if rinsed well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 520g)