Kimchi Cheese Yakisoba
Korean-Japanese fried noodles: ripe kimchi and gochujang fried in pork fat, glazed with yakisoba sauce and butter, then blanketed in melted mozzarella.
Method
Cut the pork belly into 3 cm pieces. Heat the oil in a 28 cm pan and stir-fry the pork over medium heat for , until it has released plenty of fat.
Add in this stepCooking oil 1 tbspPork belly (thinly sliced) 100 g
medium heatCut the kimchi into 2 cm pieces and lightly squeeze out the juice. Slice the onion 5 mm thick and add both with the gochujang. Stir-fry over medium heat for , until the kimchi turns translucent and the edges catch a little.
Add in this stepRipe napa cabbage kimchi 120 gOnion 50 gGochujang (Korean chili paste) 2 tsp
medium heatAdd the cabbage, cut into 3 cm squares, and stir-fry over high heat for until just wilted.
Add in this stepCabbage 100 g
high heatAdd the noodles and sprinkle with the water to loosen them. Add the yakisoba sauce, sugar and butter and stir-fry over medium-high heat for , until the noodles are evenly coated and glossy.
Add in this stepYakisoba noodles (150 g per pack) 2Water 3 tbspYakisoba sauce 3 tbspSugar 1 tspButter 15 g
medium-high heatSpread the noodles flat in the pan, scatter the mozzarella evenly, cover with a lid and leave over low heat for . Turn off the heat once the cheese has fully melted.
Add in this stepShredded mozzarella 60 g
low heatSprinkle with sliced scallions and sesame seeds and serve straight from the pan.
Add in this stepScallions 15 gToasted sesame seeds 1 tsp
Cook's tip
Well-fermented, slightly sour kimchi gives the deepest flavour when fried. Adding the kimchi juice as is makes the noodles soggy, so squeeze it lightly. For less heat, halve the gochujang.
Cooking it at camp
Works as written on a camp burner with a lidded cast-iron pan or griddle. No lid? A sheet of foil on top melts the cheese just as well. Carry the kimchi in an airtight container in the cooler.