Kimchi Carbonara Noodles Adventure

I hugged the giant plastic tub of kimchi to my chest and tried to twist off the top. Nothing happened. Some bubbles from the fermentation rose lazily through the cabbage.

This was “young kimchi” and, like many a youngster, it was giving adults a hard time.

Guillaume had brought the wonderful find back from H-Mart and, despite his stronger grip, he couldn’t liberate the tub, either. The bottom bulged. We wondered if it might be over-packed. Come on, kimchi.

The possibilities for yumminess stretched out before us, if only we could get to the main ingredient. My head was already full of a dish I’d never even tasted. Eater.com’s Matthew Kang savored a tantalizing kimchi pasta carbonara from Mott Street restaurant in Chicago for a K-Town episode. After finding the recipe for this mentaiko udon — and looking up several of the main ingredients — I decided that kimchi, butter, and noodles were the essential parts.

Desperate now, I gently pressed a butter knife under the edge of the kimchi container lid to loosen it. The good news: I was able to unscrew the top. The bad news: Without a tight seal on the container, the kitchen smelled like fermenting cabbage for as long as it took us to get through the huge tub.

For the first kimchi pasta experiment, I made the mistake of using dried spaghetti. The leftovers absorbed all the sauce and were surprisingly bland. Using udon noodles instead made all the difference. Adding ham — the leftovers from brunch — provided a sweet smokiness. Chopping yu choi greens helped us use up leftovers. If you omit the greens, just add more kimchi and juice. Using food-safe gloves should prevent staining.

In the midst of all this, I wondered whether kimchi is vegetarian. It turns out that the traditional kind, including the one we had, contains fish. However, you can find vegan kimchi in specialized stores or make your own. As for replacing the ham and butter — I’m sure there are ways to achieve that creamy umami without animal protein. Clever folks on the internet have some suggestions.

What I came up with is a flexible recipe that you can tweak based on the ingredients you have available, and your own taste preferences. It’s ideal for lunch on a cold and gloomy day. Nothing like a little kimchi to wake you up.

Kimchi and Ham Noodles

Makes 2 servings

2 servings of udon noodles, such as Chikara jumbo udon
1 small bunch of yu choi, bok choi, or other similar greens, approx. 7 oz.
Hickory-smoked ham slices or equivalent, approx. 4 oz.
2 – 4 Tbsp. butter
Chives, scallions, or green onions
1 C. kimchi with juices, around 10 oz. or more if omitting fresh greens
Sesame seeds, for garnish

Prepare the udon noodles according to the package instructions and drain. They should be soft and chewy. We like the Chikara brand refrigerated jumbo udon noodles without the soup base from H-Mart, but other types should work fine.

Dice the ham and set it aside in a bowl. Rinse, dry, and chop the yu choi or other greens into 2-inch segments and set them aside. Get out the butter. Chop or mince enough chives or scallions for garnish according to your taste and set them aside. If you have Asian chives (부추), this is a great time to use some. You can also add a handful of chopped green onions or chives along with the ham, below.

Put on food-save gloves and use a stain-resistant cutting board for the kimchi. Carefully take out the amount you need from the container with your non-dominant gloved hand. Chop it roughly into bite-size pieces with a knife using your dominant hand. Scoop the chopped kimchi and the juices into a glass bowl. Spoon some extra kimchi juice into the bowl.

Immediately rinse the board, knife, and wipe any drips off the counter. Remove the gloves.

Heat several tablespoons of butter, either unsalted or salted, in a medium or large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the fresh greens and sauté, covered, for about five minutes.

Stir in the ham along with any extra chopped green onions and cook for another minute or so.

Carefully pour the kimchi into the pan from the bowl. Use a plastic or stain-proof utensil to stir the vegetables. You just want the kimchi heated through, not completely cooked down.

Gently tip the cooked udon noodles into the skillet and carefully mix them in with the vegetable sauce. Nonstick tongs might be useful at this point. Taste a little and add some salt if needed. If it doesn’t seem creamy enough, melt in some more butter.

Put the noodles in two large bowls, making sure they both get equal amounts of the vegetables and ham. Sprinkle with scallions or chives, if desired, and garnish with some sesame seeds.