It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon and your family is home, watching TV, doing homework, or just relaxing. You are in the kitchen, kneading and rolling out this dough. Everyone is in a good mood because they know that steamy noodle soup is in their future. The dough is rolled out by hand and cut into noodles with a sharp chef’s knife—in fact, kalguksu means “knife-noodles.” It’s crucial that you measure the flour and water carefully. If the dough is too wet, it will be too sticky to roll out; if it’s too dry, it will crack and crumble. The recipe calls for anchovy stock, but in a pinch you can use homemade chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth. The soup has just a touch of sweetness from the zucchini, the noodles are soft but springy, and the clams add a layer of brininess to the full-flavored stock.
SERVES: 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS:
- 1¼ pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed
- FOR THE DOUGH:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- FOR THE SOUP:
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1½ cups thinly sliced zucchini (about 4 ounces)
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 8 cups Anchovy-Kelp Stock
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 scallions, chopped
- Shredded dried hot pepper (silgochu; optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Combine 4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt in a bowl and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the clams and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the clams to spit any grit.
- Make the dough: Combine the flour, water, vegetable oil, and salt in a medium bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms. Knead it in the bowl or on the countertop for about 5 minutes, until the dough is smooth. Alternatively, combine the flour, water, vegetable oil, and salt in a food processor and process until the dough comes together in a ball. Remove the dough and place on a lightly floured countertop and knead by hand for another few minutes, until smooth. Transfer the dough to a plastic bag and set aside for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the bag and knead until it is soft and smooth, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the dough to the plastic bag so it won’t dry out.
- Make the soup: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of the toasted sesame oil. Set aside.
- Combine the anchovy stock and garlic in a large heavy pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat, covering to keep warm.
- Lightly flour a large cutting board or work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12-x-15-inch rectangle. (You can also roll it out with a pasta machine.) Sprinkle the dough with flour and fold it over itself two or three times. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the folded dough into ⅛-inch-wide noodles. Sprinkle the noodles with a handful of flour to prevent sticking, then toss and shake the noodles with both hands to separate them.
- Bring the stock back to a boil over medium-high heat. Drain the clams and add the noodles, clams, and 1 teaspoon salt to the boiling stock. Cover and cook until the clams open and the noodles float, 4 to 5 minutes. If any clams don’t open, cook a little longer until they do; discard any that don’t open. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Remove the soup from the heat.
- Ladle the soup and clams into two large individual serving bowls or four smaller bowls. Add the sautéed zucchini and scallions to the bowls and garnish with shredded red pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.
