Golbaengi Muchim (Spicy Sea Snail Salad) with Noodles
A drinking snack dish of sea snails and fresh vegetables tossed in an aged spicy sauce and served with thin wheat noodles.
Translated from Korean by AI and not yet checked by a native speaker. Amounts and numbers are taken directly from the original recipe. Read the Korean original →
Chewy sea snails and crisp vegetables are tossed in a spicy, sweet, and sour sauce and served with thin wheat noodles. Making the seasoning sauce 1 to 2 hours ahead to let it age deepens its flavor, and tossing everything right before eating keeps the vegetables crisp. Paired with boiled somyeon, it makes a great drinking snack as well as a hearty meal.
- Servings
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spiciness
- Spicy
Ingredients
Ingredients
- Sea snails (golbaengi)1 can, 240 g (small can)
- Cucumber1/2
- Shredded green cabbage1 handful
- Carrot1/4
- Perilla leaves5 leaves
- Thin wheat noodles (somyeon)2 servings (amount)
Seasoning
- Gochujang (Korean red chili paste)2 tbsp
- Gochugaru (Korean chili flakes)2 tbsp
- Corn syrup (mulyeot)2 tbsp
- Vinegar2–3 tbsp
- Regular soy sauce (jin-ganjang)1 tbsp
- Sugar1/2–1 tbsp
- Minced garlic1 tbsp
- Apple juice (or other fruit juice)3 tbsp
- Mirin (cooking rice wine)1 tbsp
- Toasted sesame oil1 tsp
- Ground black peppera little
- Ginger juicea little
- If you are sensitive to fishy smells, pour boiling water over the sea snails or dip them briefly into rolling boiling water and take them out, then rinse in cold water.
- Along with the sea snails, you can prepare dried shredded squid or dried pollack strips, or add various other ingredients like lettuce, onion, or shredded apple.
- When eating raw, tossing the carrots with a bit of vinegar beforehand prevents the destruction of vitamin C when eaten together with cucumber.
Steps
1. The first thing you need to do for golbaengi muchim is to make the seasoning sauce.
Aging the sauce gives it a much deeper and better flavor than using it right away.
It is great to make it in the morning to use in the evening, but I recommend making it at least 1 to 2 hours ahead.
Adjust the sugar or vinegar among the seasoning ingredients to suit your taste.
2. Remove the sea snails from the can and drain them in a sieve.
If you are sensitive to fishy smells, pour boiling water over them or dip the sea snails into rolling boiling water and take them out,
then rinse them in cold water.
3. They are thick, so slice them to a suitable thickness.
4. Julienne all the vegetables.
Along with the sea snails, you can also prepare dried shredded squid or dried pollack strips,
and you can prepare various ingredients besides the vegetables I prepared, such as lettuce, onion, or shredded apple.
**Carrots contain a large amount of vitamin A,
but they also contain ascorbinase, which breaks down vitamin C,
so eating raw carrots together with cucumber interferes with the absorption of vitamin C.
Therefore, when eating raw, tossing the carrots with a bit of vinegar beforehand prevents the interference with vitamin C.
Also, because carrots are rich in vitamin A and are particularly resistant to heat,
even if you blanch or stir-fry them, the nutrients remain intact, preventing the destruction of vitamin C in other vegetables eaten together.
A good example is using carrots that are stir-fried or blanched in gimbap.
5. Add all the vegetables, sea snails, and seasoning sauce...
6. Toss everything evenly.
If you toss it in advance, liquid forms and the vegetables wilt, losing their appealing look, so it is best to prepare the ingredients and sauce beforehand
and toss them right before eating.
The boiling time for the somyeon should be indicated on the package. It is usually about 3~4 minutes.
Pour in plenty of water, and once it comes to a rolling boil, add the thin wheat noodles (somyeon).
When the water boils up once, pour in a cup of cold water and boil until it boils up again to enjoy chewy noodles.
Rinsing them in cold water and ice water helps maintain chewy and springy noodles for a long time.
The chewy sea snails and the spicy, sweet, and sour seasoning really work up your appetite.
It is great as a side dish for rice, but it is the best drinking snack. It is truly a drink-calling snack.
Ppunwife's tips
- Aging the sauce gives it a much deeper and better flavor than using it right away.
- If you toss it in advance, liquid forms and the vegetables wilt, losing their appealing look, so it is best to prepare the ingredients and sauce beforehand and toss them right before eating.
- When the water boils up once, pour in a cup of cold water and boil until it boils up again, then rinse the somyeon in cold water and ice water to maintain chewy and springy noodles for a long time.
FAQ
How can I reduce the distinctive fishy smell of canned sea snails?
You can reduce the fishy flavor by pouring boiling water over the drained sea snails, or by blanching them very briefly in boiling water and rinsing them in cold water.
Is it better to make the seasoning sauce for golbaengi muchim ahead of time?
Rather than using the sauce right away, making it 1 to 2 hours ahead or preparing it in the morning for evening use lets it age and deepens the flavor considerably.
What is the secret to boiling thin wheat noodles (somyeon) so they are chewy and springy?
When it boils up, pour in a cup of cold water and cook until it boils again, then rinse thoroughly in cold water or ice water to keep that chewy texture for a long time.
Can I add other ingredients besides sea snails?
You can add dried shredded squid or dried pollack strips, and mix in various vegetables to your liking, such as lettuce, onion, or julienned apple.
