125gmeat picked from the oxtails from oxtail soupshredded (optional)
225gsliced rice cakesdduk, soaked in cold water for 15-30 minutes and then drained
Large handful spring onionsthinly sliced on an angle
Large handful julienned roasted seaweedkim
Roasted sesame seeds
Instructions
In a medium non-stick pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Beat a pinch of salt into the eggs and add them to the pan, swirling to evenly coat the base. Cook for 2 minutes, without touching, until the egg is set but just barely browned on the base. Flip and continue to cook for a further 15-20 seconds until the base is set, again trying not to get too much colour on the egg. Slide onto a chopping board, but into thirds and cut crossways into thin strips. Set the egg aside.
In a large pot, bring the soup to boil over a high heat. Add the dumplings, stirring gently so they don’t stick to one another and simmer for 4 minutes (a little longer is the dumplings are frozen). Add the oxtail meat (if using) and rice cakes and simmer for a further 2 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through and the rice cakes are soft. They should both float to the top of the soup. Season the soup with salt and pepper, but not too aggressively, as the dumplings have a lot of flavour.
Divide the soup, rice cakes, dumplings and oxtail meat (if using) among 4-6 bowls. Top with the egg strips, spring onions, seaweed and sesame seeds and serve immediately.
Notes
TIP: Instead of making an omelette, the eggs can also be drizzled into the pot of soup at the end of cooking to form ribbons of eggs, like egg drop soup. This recipe is extracted from Korean Food Made Simple: Easy and Delicious Korean Recipes to Prepare at Home by Judy Joo, 2016, Jacqui Small.