Kimchi Udon Noodles

This Kimchi udon recipe is a delicious and flavorful dish that combines the bold, spicy flavors of kimchi with the chewy and satisfying texture of udon noodles, and the creaminess of the butter and the egg yokes. In this recipe, we will be using fresh udon noodles, which are thick and slightly chewy wheat noodles that are popular in Japanese cuisine. The noodles are stir-fried with a mixture of finely chopped kimchi, gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste), sliced mushrooms, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Whether you are a fan of kimchi or just love a good noodle dish, this kimchi udon noodle recipe is sure to be a hit.

Step 1  
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the udon noodles according to the package instructions. Keep into account that they will absorb more juices later on in the pan, so it is better to slightly undercook them. Drain the noodles and set them aside. Now its time to prep the rest of the ingredients. 

Step 2
‍Start by finely chopping your ginger and scallions. Separate the white parts of the scallions from the green parts. Cut the King oyster mushroom into a few thick slices and make sure you cross-mark them with your knife. It will now curl up less in the pan and also look prettier. Finely chop the kimchi and keep the liquid aside for later. 

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Step 3
‍Now it's time to heat your wok/pan on medium-high. First, we will give the Oyster mushrooms a nice golden brown color on both sides, by using 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. Remove from the pan and set aside for garnish.

Step 4
Add one tbsp of the butter to the pan. Now add the chopped Kimchi, the white parts of the scallion and gojuchang. Let simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

Step 5
Hold in there, we are almost there! Add the broth, kimchi juice, and rice vinegar to your pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the noodles and let them soak up the sauce until you create a thicker consistency (again approximately 2-3 min). Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining butter and sesame oil and half of the green scallions. Plate with an egg yoke in the middle and garnish with your king oyster mushroom, the rest of the scallions, and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Chefs tip
‍"You are supposed to stir in the raw egg yoke into the warm noodles when you are about to start eating. If you don’t want to eat raw egg (because you are pregnant or simply freaked out by it) replace the yoke with a sunny-side-up fried egg. You can also add a lot more vegetables of your choice to the dish. For example: Chinese broccoli or bokchoi."