Spicy Chewy Korean Jjolmyeon with Soybean Sprouts and Cucumber

Shred 2–3 cabbage leaves, 1/4 cup carrot and half a cucumber; chop one green onion. Toast and slice one sheet of gim.

Mix 1/3 cup gochujang, 15 ml soy sauce, 1 tbsp gochugaru, 30 ml vinegar, two minced garlic cloves and 30 ml rice syrup. Reserve the sesame oil and seeds for the final toss.

Wash 340 g soybean sprouts. Cover in a pot with 480 ml water and 1/2 tsp salt and boil over medium heat for about 12 minutes until bean heads are thoroughly cooked. Drain and cool.

In a separate pot, boil one egg for about 10 minutes until both white and yolk are firm. Cool in cold water, peel and halve.

Boil 450 g fresh jjolmyeon noodles in plenty of water, stirring, for about five minutes. Check one noodle; if still hard inside, boil another 1–2 minutes.

Drain the cooked noodles and rub gently under clean cold running water several times to remove surface starch and chill; drain thoroughly.

In a large bowl toss cooled cooked sprouts, cabbage, carrot and noodles with the sauce. Add 15 ml toasted sesame oil and 1 tbsp sesame seeds and mix again.

Divide between two bowls; top each with cucumber, gim, scallion and half a hard-boiled egg. Serve immediately and avoid leaving chilled ingredients at room temperature.