Recipe: Uh Mook Guksu (Fish Cake Noodle Soup or 어묵국수)

Korean uh mook, also known as odeng or fish cake, is more commonly served as a side dish or as a component to dishes like ddukbokki but it can also be used to make a quick and flavorful broth for soups and noodles.

Uh Mook Guksu is a dirt cheap eat that's often found in Korean traditional markets. The simple noodles and fish cake broth makes for a quick meal and can be fixed up in a pinch when you're in a hurry.

Topped with some sliced kimchi, seasoned toasted seaweed, and/or egg strips, it's especially good on chilly days.

Uh Mook Guksu (Fish Cake Noodle Soup or 어묵국수)

Makes two servings

You'll need:

- 1 small Onion, sliced

- 1 Green Onion, root end cut off (don't discard) and rest chopped

- 2 Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced

- 1 package of Enoki Mushrooms, roots removed

- 5 dried Anchovies, guts and head removed

- 1 large Dashima (dried Kelp)

- 3-4 sheets of Korean Uh Mook (fish cake), cut width-wise into 1/4" strips

- 1/2 a Carrot, julienned 

- 1 small Potato, julienned

- 1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce

- 1 tbsp of Salt

- 6 cups of Water

- 2 servings of somyeon noodles (approximately 8-10 oz for two servings)
- 2 tbsp Red Chili Powder (Optional)

Topping ideas:

- 2 Eggs, beaten, pan fried and sliced into strips (can fry whites and yolks separately for better color)

- 1 cup of chopped and fermented Kimchi with 1 tsp of Sesame Oil and 1/2 tbsp of Sugar mixed in

- 1 sheet of toasted Seaweed, or Nori, crumbled

- Sesame Seeds

1. Begin by making a simple stock. In a pot, add the water, the sliced shiitake mushrooms, onion, anchovies, dashima, and the root part of the green onion and boil on high for about 8-10 minutes. You can also add some chopped radish to amp up the flavor. Just make sure to discard the anchovies, dashima, green onion end, and/or radish after ten minutes. 

Boil the noodles, according to instructions, in a separate pot of water and then rinse in cold water a few times to get out the starch. Divide the noodles and place in serving bowls.

2. Reduce the heat of the soup to medium and add in the carrots and potatoes, the soy sauce, and salt. Continue boiling for 3 more minutes.

3. Add in the uh mook and the enoki mushroom and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Overcooking the uh mook will make it limp, soggy, and flavorless!

Note: If you want to remove some of the oils on the uh mook you can rinse it once in hot water before adding to the soup. Some prefer this saying it brings a cleaner flavor to the broth.

4. Taste and season the soup to your liking and then add the chopped green onion and red chili powder (if you choose to add the chili powder) and cook for one more minute before turning off the heat.

You can optionally add in a chopped chili pepper for added heat.

5. Ladle the hot soup, uh mook and other veggies onto the serving bowls containing the cooked noodles. Garnish with whatever toppings you like and a bit of sesame seeds on top for garnish.

Very quick and simple. Light but filling.

Slurp and enjoy!