Maesaengi-guk (Seaweed and Oyster Soup)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium soup pot, 2 to 3 quart capacity
• •Fine sieve
• •Large bowl for rinsing
• •Kitchen scissors

Instructions

1. 1

   Clean the maesaengi

   Put the maesaengi in a large bowl of cold water and loosen it with your fingers. Lift it out with your hands instead of pouring the bowl through a strainer, so any grit stays behind. Repeat 2 or 3 times, until the water is clean. Drain in a fine sieve and snip the tangle in a few places with scissors, just enough so it serves neatly from the ladle.

   Don't squeeze maesaengi hard. It is delicate, and rough hands make it muddy before it ever reaches the pot.
2. 2

   Rinse the oysters

   Swish the oysters gently in a bowl of cold lightly salted water, using 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt. Pick out shell bits, then drain. This cleans them without washing away all their briny taste. Keep them cold while you make the broth.

3. 3

   Make the broth

   Put 5 cups water, the kelp, and the cleaned anchovies in a pot over medium heat. When small bubbles gather at the edge, remove the kelp so it doesn't turn the broth bitter. Simmer the anchovies 8 minutes more, then lift them out. You should have about 4 1/2 cups clean, savory broth.

4. 4

   Season lightly

   Stir in the soup soy sauce, minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Taste before adding anything else. The broth should be a little under-seasoned now, because the oysters will give salt and sweetness when they open into the soup.

5. 5

   Add the maesaengi

   Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and slide in the drained maesaengi. Stir slowly with chopsticks or a spoon to loosen the strands through the broth. Cook 2 minutes. No more. The color should stay deep green and the texture should be silky, not thick and tired.

6. 6

   Finish with oysters

   Add the oysters and simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they plump and their edges curl. Turn off the heat, taste once, and add a small pinch of salt only if the broth needs it. Stir in sesame oil if you want a rounder finish, but leave it out if your oysters are especially sweet.

   The safe shortcut is using a good prepared anchovy broth. The corner you cannot cut is the final cook: maesaengi and oysters both go tough or dull when boiled hard.
7. 7

   Serve with warning

   Ladle into bowls and scatter a little scallion over the top if using. Set it down with rice and plain banchan, then warn the table first thing. This soup looks mild, but it holds heat fiercely, and the first spoon can burn an impatient mouth.

Chef Tips

• •Fresh maesaengi should smell clean and oceanic, never sour. It should look like fine dark green threads, not a dull paste. Cook the month you're standing in: this is a winter soup.
• •Frozen maesaengi is acceptable if fresh is not sold where you live. Thaw it in the refrigerator, rinse gently, drain well, and use the same 300 grams. Dried maesaengi is useful for other preparations, but it won't give this soup the same silk.
• •Use soup soy sauce, guk-ganjang, not dark regular soy sauce if you can. Guk-ganjang seasons without staining the soup too much, which matters in a pale broth where the green seaweed should still show clearly.
• •Serve with rice, kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi), and one clean namul. Don't crowd this meal with sweet or fiery dishes. The soup is quiet, and the table should give it room.

Advance Preparation

• •The anchovy-kelp broth can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it first, then add the maesaengi and oysters only at serving time.
• •Clean the maesaengi up to 6 hours ahead, drain it well, and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Do not season or cook it early.
• •Leftovers keep 1 day refrigerated, but the oysters firm up and the seaweed thickens. Reheat gently and do not let the soup boil hard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 400g)