Stir-Fried Kimchi Udon

This Stir-Fried Kimchi Udon bowl is one of those recipes that looks more lavish than it is to make. Fresh mung bean sprouts give a great crunch and the toasted dried seaweed strips add a great level of flavor. But the noodles tossed with very well fermented kimchi - make sure it's pungent to give the added ingredient of time that fermentation creates - crisped up then coated with butter and eaten with a runny yolk make this a velvety dish that you'll want to put into your rotation of weekly meals.

Stir-Fried Kimchi Udon

Serves 2

2 udon noodle packages, individual servings
1 cup kimchi, well-fermented and cut into bite-sized pieces
2 TBSP kimchi juice
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP sesame oil
2 tsp gochugaru
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 TBSP vegetable oil for stir fry and egg
2 TBSP butter

Toppings
1 sheet dried seaweed sheet, toasted cut into strips
Handful mung bean sprouts
2 dashes of furikake
Sprinkle of sesame seeds

1. Boil udon noodles per package instructions. Drain, then run under cold water to prevent the noodles from overcooking and becoming mushy.

2. At the same time the noodles are cooking, heat a non-stick pan to medium-high heat with 1 TBSP of vegetable oil. Stir-fry the kimchi for about 5 minutes, not stirring too much so the edges can get slightly crispy. Add the cooked udon noodles, kimchi juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, gochugaru, and salt, and quickly stir everything together for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the butter. Stir until melted and everything is evenly incorporated.

3. In a separate non-stick pan, heat 1 TBSP of vegetable oil to medium heat and cook the eggs for about 3 minutes on one side. Flip and cook an additional 2 minutes until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny.

4. Serve warm with the noodles in a bowl with the egg, dried seaweed, sprouts, furikake, and sesame seeds on top.