Buckwheat Noodles With Cold Broth Recipe (Mool Naeng Myun)

Mool naeng myun is one of Korea's favorite summer dishes because of its refreshingly cool and tangy broth. Yes, the secret to good mool naeng myun is its broth, and trying to track down a recipe that lists specific quantities of each ingredient that goes into the broth is just about impossible. It's one of those recipes that sons and daughters have learned by watching their grandparents and parents make it; a little of this, a little of that, and some tasting along the way to get it right.

I pressed my mom and grandmother for specific quantities for this recipe, but all they could tell me was "a little of this and a little of that." So I've done my best to provide a list of essential ingredients and the most important guidelines for making mool naeng myun. But this recipe really needs to be prefaced with a suggestion: please take the time to visit a Korean restaurant and try this dish. Make sure that you ask for mool naeng myun, and not just naeng myun. Once you enjoy its unforgettable broth, your palate will have the capacity to guide you as you combine a little of this and a little of that when you make it on your own. I trust that the effort will be worth it.

Ingredients:

1 package of buckwheat noodles from a Korean grocery store - ask for naeng myun - the list of ingredients may read "buckwheat noodles," or may include a few other ingredients like "sweet potato starch", "wheat," and "salt."
1 carton of organic chicken or organic beef broth
Sea salt
Vinegar (brown rice vinegar is best, white vinegar will do)
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded with a spoon, then sliced into thin strips about 2 inches long
1 Asian pear, peeled and thinly sliced
Soft boiled egg - one for each person
Ice cubes

Directions:

Traditionally, the broth for mool naeng myun is made with about 1/3 beef broth, 1/3 chicken broth, and 1/3 kim chi brine. But because few people have the time or expertise to include all three components to make this broth, most Koreans use just beef broth or chicken broth.

1. Pour organic chicken or beef broth into a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons of vinegar, stir gently, and taste. Imagine drinking this broth while eating chewy buckwheat noodles and add more vinegar if you prefer more tang. This is the step that requires a previous encounter with well made mool naeng myun. Add a small amount of sea salt, to taste. If there is enough time before mealtime, put this bowl of broth in the refrigerator to chill.
2. Put buckwheat noodles into a large pot of boiling water and cook for 2-3 minutes. They should be taken out as soon as they are al dente - chewy, but not too soft. At this point, put noodles in a large colander and rinse two to three times with cold water. Allow noodles to rest in the colander for a few minutes or until excess water has been drained.
3. To serve, place a large handful of noodles in a large eating bowl. Add a small bunch of cucumber strips, a few pear slices, and one soft boiled egg (cut in half right before serving) to the bowl. Then use a ladle to add a generous amount of cold and tangy broth to the bowl, enough to cover about 75 percent of the ingredients.
4. Right before eating, use scissors to cut the noodles a few times to allow for more convenient mouthfuls.
5. With each mouthful of noodles, vegetables, and egg, bring the bowl right up to your mouth and take a sip of the cold and tangy broth. Enjoy this traditional Korean summertime dish!

Note: if you don't have the time to chill the broth in the refrigerator for an hour before serving, place a few ice cubes in each person's bowl to chill while eating. Also, traditional mool naeng myun comes with a few strips of beef, so if you don't eat beef, be sure to mention this while ordering.

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