Pine Nut and Peanut Kongguksu with Silky Peeled-Bean Broth

Method

1. Rub-wash the soybeans, picking out any that float, then soak them in plenty of water in the fridge for 10 h. Cold soaking keeps them from souring and gives a cleaner taste.

   Add in this stepDried yellow soybeans 140 g

2. Put the soaked beans in a 18 cm pot and cover with fresh water. Bring to the boil on high heat, then lower to medium heat and cook uncovered for 12 min, skimming the foam. A bean should taste nutty, not raw, and still have a slight firmness. Keep the lid off: covered, it boils over easily and develops a musty smell.

   high heat→medium heat

3. Plunge the cooked beans into iced water and rub them between both hands to loosen the skins. Pour off the floating skins, refill and repeat for 12 min, until almost all the skins are gone. This effort is what makes the broth silky.

4. Toast the pine nuts, peanuts and sesame in a dry pan on medium-low heat for 3 min, stirring, until the pine nuts are pale gold and smell nutty; tip out at once to cool. Keep a few pine nuts aside for garnish.

   Add in this stepPine nuts 2 tbspRaw peanuts, skinned 2 tbspSesame seeds 2 tbsp

   medium-low heat

5. Blend the beans, toasted nuts and sesame with half the water until fine, then add the rest of the water and half the salt and blend again, 3 min in total. Strain through muslin or a fine sieve, squeezing hard, for a smooth broth with no pulp. Chill in the fridge for 1 h.

   Add in this stepCold still water (for blending) 520 mlFine salt ½ tsp

6. Bring a small pot of water to the boil, lower in the eggs with a ladle and cook on medium heat for 10 min. Cool them at once in iced water, peel and halve.

   Add in this stepEggs 1

   medium heat

7. Bring 2.5 L of water to a rolling boil in a large pot on high heat, add the noodles and cook for 4 min. Rub them under cold water until all the starch is gone, then soak in iced water until firm and squeeze dry.

   Add in this stepMedium wheat noodles (junggukso) 200 g

   high heat

8. Cut the cucumber into fine matchsticks and halve the cherry tomatoes. Coil the noodles into chilled bowls and pour over the broth. Float the ice and top with the cucumber, tomatoes, egg and reserved pine nuts; serve the remaining salt on the side.

   Add in this stepCucumber 80 gCherry tomatoes 4Ice cubes 6Fine salt ½ tsp