Korean Manila Clam Knife-Cut Noodle Soup
Bajirak kalguksu is one of Korea's most recognized noodle dishes, featuring hand-cut wheat noodles in a broth made entirely from manila clams. Purged clams are boiled in water until they open, then removed while the stock is strained through cloth to eliminate any remaining grit. Korean zucchini and scallion simmer in the strained broth for five minutes, adding vegetal sweetness that rounds out the clam flavor. When the knife-cut noodles go in, they release starch into the liquid as they cook, thickening the broth into a lightly viscous consistency that distinguishes kalguksu from other noodle soups. The noodles cook for six to seven minutes until they turn translucent, at which point the reserved clam meat returns to the pot. Seasoning with soup soy sauce is done carefully since the clam stock already carries its own salinity. Unlike anchovy-based kalguksu, the marine character here is direct and present in every strand of noodle, making the clam the unmistakable center of the dish.
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Instructions
- 1
Purge clams in salted water for at least 30 minutes, then rinse well.
- 2
Boil clams in water until they open, then remove them from the broth.
- 3
Strain the broth, add garlic and soup soy sauce, and bring to a boil.
- 4
Add noodles and zucchini, boil 6~8 minutes.
- 5
Return some clams to the soup, adjust salt, top with green onion, and serve.
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