Korean Glass Noodles – Incredibly Wonderful

Meet Cathy Li, my new esteemed home cooking teacher.

On several occasions my colleague, Joanne Li, brought these spectacular sweet and savoury Korean Glass Noodles to potluck celebrations. Joanne agreed to share the recipe and cooking technique by introducing me to the expert, her mom Cathy. We all met at the Asian grocer, Kim Phat, to select the ingredients, then Cathy gave me my first Korean cooking class. (Dreams really do come true.)

Korean Glass Noodles 

If making Korean Glass Noodles with Beef, begin by marinating the flank steak. If you want Vegetable Korean Glass Noodles, skip down to begin with “Vegetable Stir Fry.”

Marinated Flank Steak

• 6-7 oz flank steak, very thinly sliced, against the grain, in 3-inch lengths
• 1 1/2 T soy sauce
• 3/4 t each Kosher salt, black pepper
• 2 t each cornstarch, water

In a medium-sized bowl, combine ingredients in the order listed, mixing after each one. Cook the beef last in the leftover sauce from the noodles.

Vegetable Stir fry

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 T each finely chopped garlic, grated fresh ginger
• 12 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water for several hours or overnight, then marinated in 2 teaspoons each sugar and sesame oil, then stemmed and very thinly sliced
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1/4 c water, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1 small container shimeji mushroom, bottom cut off and mushrooms separated (optional)
• 2-3 coloured peppers,  cored, seeded, cut in slivers
• 2 large handfuls bean sprouts
• 2 t each Kosher salt, sugar
• 1 T oyster sauce (optional – not for vegetarians)

In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high, then add garlic and ginger. Stir for 1 minute, then add shiitake mushrooms.  Stir for 1 minute, then add carrots and stir. Add 1/4 cup of water, cover and cook 2 minutes. Stir, add a little more water if needed and cook another minute or until the carrots soften a little. Stir in shimeji mushrooms and coloured peppers, cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add bean sprouts, stirring until wilted, then add seasoning, salt, sugar and oyster sauce. Place vegetables in a large flat casserole, reserving cooking liquid in a cup.

Glass Noodles

• 450g glass noodles, cooked in a large pot of boiling, salted water for 10 minutes, rinsed in cold water until completely cold, then cut once or twice to make them manageable
• 1/2 c soy sauce (2 tablespoons more if including flank steak)
• 3 T sugar
• 2 T sesame oil
• 1 t freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 c water
• 2 T Nori Komi Furikake Rice Seasoning, as garnish
• 2 t roasted sesame seeds, as garnish

In the same large pan used to cook the vegetables, heat the soy sauce, sugar and pepper. Add water and sesame oil. As it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and mix in the cold noodles. Toss well and combine with the vegetables, leaving any extra cooking sauce in the pan to stir fry the beef. Garnish with rice seasoning, sesame seeds and beef.

In the same pan, heat the remaining sauce from the noodles and cook the beef over medium heat, stirring for several minutes until medium rare – not too pink. Add cooking liquid from vegetables if too dry. Give the whole dish a stir and serve immediately or the next day. Excellent served warm, hot or cold. Serves 8 as a main or 16 as a side dish.

Korean Glass Noodles Print Ready Recipe

Final notes:

• When is the last time you took someone under your wing to teach her how to make a fantastic recipe? It’s a priceless gift.
• Do you know 10 things that are absolutely free in Seoul?
• Want to know the best Korean food restaurants in Montreal?
• Here’s a recipe to make your own Nori Komi Furikake Rice Seasoning. It’s also available at Kim Phat or Amazon. My kids are big fans.

• Shimeji mushrooms come all attached, but separate easily once you slice off the bottom.

• Here are Cathy Li’s recommended varieties of dried shiitake mushrooms and sweet potato glass noodles from Kim Phat:

•  Check out this guide to buying Asian noodles.
• Thank you Cathy and Joanne Li for a wonderful learning, tasting and sharing experience.
• Keep posted for details on a Hotluck Party.