Foodblogging: Chap Chae (잡채) with Tofu

Chap Chae is one of those foods that Americans seem to really be into.  I guess it's because it's sort of like chow mein or chop suey.  It can be really bland and boring, which is why I don't eat it very often -- especially at restaurants where they tend to put the smallest amount of the cheapest veggies and meats in a slop of noodles.  Then it tends to sit around under a heat lamp and that's just not how I roll. 

But if you make it fresh it's a whole different dish.  So here's my riff on a fairly basic chap chae recipe without all that pesky measuring or animal parts.

First you make the marinade.  This combination of soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, and green onions is essentially the flavor of Korea.  Many recipes start out with this.  Just mix enough of everything to coat whatever you're marinating and still have a few tablespoons left over.  Set the extra aside for later.

Slice firm tofu into whatever shape you prefer.  I went with planks to maximize the golden brown deliciousness that will happen when it's fried..  It's going to break up later on anyway so it really doesn't matter.  Let it marinate while you chop up your other veggies.  At this time you'll want to soak your rice noodles in boiling water and set them aside to soften.

I made enough veggies and tofu for four big servings and soaked two small bundles of noodles.

When you've got everything prepped and ready to go, get a wok nice and hot.  Fry your tofu in enough oil that you'll have some left to coat your veggies.  Heat is key here.  It's best to use peanut oil so you can get it very hot without smoking.  I was out of peanut oil so I used canola and a lower temp...

 

...so I didn't get as much browning on the tofu as I would have liked.  Oh well.

 

 

Add your carrots, bamboo shoots, napa cabbage, and spinach. 

 

 

Your spinach will wilt down and it gets a lot easier to stir everything.

When your veggies are crisp-tender enough to your liking add your drained rice noodles and the reserved marinade.  Cook it long enough to heat everything through.  Season with black pepper, red chili flake, and salt if you don't think the soy sauce had enough.

And there you have it.  Comfort food, Korean style.  You can serve up big bowls of it as a main dish, eat it as a side, put it over rice, add or subtract veggies or proteins, and add whatever spicy condiment gets you excited.  I recommend stirring in a bit of gochujang and serving with kimchi on top.

It may be boring, but it sure tastes cozy on a cold winter night.