Pudae-jigae: Korean Army Soup

Ingredients:

Sauce

• 0.5 cup gochukaru (Korean chili pepper)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons of crushed garlic
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

Bouillon

• 0.5 cups dried anchovies
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1 piece (5 cm) daikon
• 1 piece (5 cm) kombu
• Half an onion

Toppings

• 170 g thin slices of SPAM ham
• 10 cocktail sausages
• 6 strips bacon, cut in half
• 220 g thin slices of firm tofu
• 220 g tteok (Korean rice cakes)
• 220 g canned pork with beans
• 1 cup kimchi
• Half an onion, thinly sliced
• 1 package (100 g) of instant noodles
• 1 tbsp. grated mozzarella
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 cups watercress (about 1 bunch)
• Parboiled rice, for serving

Preparation:

1. Sauce:
   
   In a medium bowl, combine the gochukara, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, mirin, sesame oil, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Whisk, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside.
2. Bouillon:
   
   In a medium saucepan, combine the dried anchovies, garlic, daikon, kombu, and onion with 2 liters of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes. Strain into a bowl or saucepan and discard the solids.
3. Filling:
   
   Place the ham, cocktail sausage, bacon, tofu, tteok, pork and bean paste, kimchi, and chopped onion in a large, low-sided skillet. Pour the sauce into the center of the pan without stirring. Heat over high heat for 5 minutes. Add enough broth to cover all the ingredients (you may not need all the broth), bring to a boil, and simmer over high heat for 5 minutes. Gently combine the sauce with the broth. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining broth. Simmer for another 10 minutes, then add the noodles and cook until the noodles are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and top with mozzarella, green onions, and watercress. Serve with steamed rice.