Korean Dak Kaiguksu- Chicken noodle soup

The Olympic Games are on tv and I am craving Korean food.  Thanks to a really informative Korean website called Korean Bapsand, I have a chicken simmering on the stove and a house that smells heavenly!  Hyosun Ro provides lots of information and some nice pics.

I am making this for friends and looking forward to their comments.  I couldn't find fresh Korean noodles.  Luckily Hyosun provides a recipe.  If you can make Italian pasta, Korean noodles should be just as easy.  Especially if you have a KitchenAid paster roller on your countertop.  And they will taste so much better than store bought.

You can be creative with the vegetables you garnish the soup with... check out the Asian produce section at the store.  T&T, in Ottawa, carries an amazing variety of Asian produce.

Homemade noodles and an amazing broth!

This recipe will serve 4-5 generously.
Ingredients:

For the soup
1 small   whole chicken (2.5 to 3 pounds), or bone-in pieces (I added chicken bones to the whole chicken in the pot.
½           medium onion
8            garlic cloves
3 to 4     thinly sliced ginger pieces
2            green onions, white parts
1            3-inch square dried kelp - optional (substituted shrimp shells I had in the freezer)
1/4        medium onion, thinly sliced
1tbsp     soup soy sauce

For the chicken meat
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt (about 1/2 teaspoon) and pepper to taste

For the vegetables
1 medium zucchini, julienned
2 scallions, finely chopped

For the noodles
1 package fresh kalguksu noodles or see below for homemade

For the soup soya sauce (Yangnyumjang) - Optional
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Korean red pepper flakes (gochugaru)
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp minced garlic
2 – 3 scallions, finely chopped

For the homemade noodles
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1 cup water

Directions:
Place the cleaned chicken in a stockpot large enough to hold the chicken and 12 cups of water. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, scallions, and 12 cups water. Bring it to a boil over medium high heat. Skim off any foam on top. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, covered, for about 40 minutes. Adjust cooking time for cut pieces of chicken. If making homemade noodles, this is a good time to start making the dough.

Sprinkle the julienned zucchini with salt for about 15 minutes and then squeeze out the water. Briefly saute in a heated pan with a little bit of oil. Set aside.

Cut through the thickest part of the breast, with a knife, to see if the chicken is cooked and tender. Turn the heat off and carefully remove the chicken.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat off the bones. Shred the meat into small bite size pieces. Add the garlic, salt and pepper to the chicken. Combine well.

Strain the broth and remove the excess fat. You can line the strainer with a paper towel or use a fat separator.

Return the broth back to the pot. Add the optional dried kelp, onion slices, and soup soy sauce. Bring it to a boil and boil for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the kelp. This is a good point to roll the dough out and make the noodles if making homemade noodles.

Meanwhile, in another pot, boil water to parboil the noodles. Add the noodles, and stir. Cook briefly.

Remove the noodles with a strainer and add to the pot with the broth. Continue to boil until the noodles are cooked through.

To serve, ladle the noodles and soup in a serving bowl, top with the chicken pieces, zucchini, and chopped scallion.

For the homemade noodles

Homemade noodles, handcut.

Mix the flour, salt, oil and water by hand until the dough comes together. Generously flour the surface to knead. Knead with the heel of your hand until the dough is fairly smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. The dough should feel slightly stiff. You can adjust the dough by kneading in a little more flour or more water (just enough to wet your hands). Cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour. After resting, the dough should feel soft and smooth. You can prepare the dough up to this point a day in advance.

When ready to use, knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 2 pieces. Flatten a piece, and roll it out with a rolling pin to make a thin sheet, about 12 x 14-inch.

From the longer side, fold the dough over 3 to 4 times into layers. Generously flour the surface, and the dough as you roll it out and fold to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut the dough with a sharp knife into about 1/4-inch thickness. Unfold the noodles and dust with flour to keep the noodles strands separate.