Celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with these dishes

It’s the time of year for the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is celebrated in different ways across parts of Asia. The holiday is filled with food and family.

Award-winning Chef Ji Hye Kim, the owner of Miss Kim restaurant in Ann Arbor, appeared on “Live In The D” to talk about the Mid-Autumn Festival and how it’s celebrated in Korea, where it’s called Chuseok. She explained that Chuseok celebrates harvest time and the moon.

Chef Kim highlighted some of her favorite recipes tied to the holiday. They include braised short ribs, Taro soup, and Japchae, which is a noodle dish. Watch the video above to see Chef Kim make Japchae. You’ll also find her recipe below.

Japchae sauce:

• 1 cup (250g) Korean soy sauce
• ¼ cup (50g) Sesame oil
• 2 ¼ Tbsp. (50g) Korean plum syrup
• 1 bunch Scallions, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup (30g) Ginger, finely pureed
• 1 Tbsp. (10g) Cane sugar
• 1 Tbsp. (10g) Kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp. (15g) Good quality black pepper, finely ground

Noodles:

• 8.8oz (250g) Japchae noodles (dry weight)
• 2 tsp (10g) Sesame oil

Vegetables:

• 1 ¾ cup (250g) Cucumbers
• 2 cups (250g) Carrots
• 1 ½ cups (250g) Mild peppers like bell or poblano (choose green ones)
• ½ cup (100g) Medium hot peppers like fresno or Jimmy Nardellos (choose red ones)
• 4 cups (500g) Fresh mushrooms like shiitake, oysters, cremini
• 8 each - Dry wood ear mushrooms, rehydrated in cold water
• Neutral cooking oil, like canola or grapeseed oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook noodles.
   1. Boil water in a pot. Do not add salt. When the water boils, add the noodles. Using tongs, make sure to stir the noodles to ensure they are not clumping up. Cook for about 5 minutes or so, until the noodles are tender with some chew, not mushy.
   2. When the noodles are done, drain onto a colander and run under cold water until the noodles are cooled. Drain well.
   3. Drizzle the sesame oil and toss well so the noodles are slippery and smelling of sesame oil, not clumping together.
   4. Using scissors, cut the noodles in half. Turn the colander 90 degrees, and cut the noodles in half again.
   5. Leave until ready to toss.
2. Make the japchae sauce by mixing all sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside for now.
3. Prep all the vegetables.
   1. Cucumbers - slice the long way first, scoop out the softer seedy middle. Slice across the short way into ⅛ - ¼ inch slices.
   2. Carrots - peel and slice into match sticks.
   3. All peppers - Seed and slice into ¼ inch slices.
   4. All mushrooms - Slice into ¼ inch slices.
4. Sauté the vegetables separately.
   1. Preheat a large frying pan or a wok over high heat. Get a sheet tray ready on the side. When the pan is hot and starts to smoke a little, add cooking oil. Add cucumbers, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Sauté quickly while stirring well, until the color turns brighter and the texture still has a lot of crunch. Dump the sautéed cucumbers on the sheet tray and spread out evenly to cool.
   2. Wipe down the pan with a wet paper towel. Sauté green peppers the same way as cucumbers, set aside on a sheet tray evenly to cool.
   3. Wipe down the pan with a wet paper towel. Sauté red peppers the same way, set aside on a sheet tray evenly to cool.
   4. Wipe down the pan with a wet paper towel. Sauté carrots the same way, set aside on a sheet tray evenly to cool.
5. In a mixing bowl, add all the sliced mushrooms and add a half cup of the japchae sauce. Toss so the sauce is well incorporated with the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms the same way as the other vegetables until the edges are getting crispy, set aside on a sheet tray evenly to cool.
6. In a large mixing bowl, add the noodles and the sautéed vegetables. Add sauce and toss well. Plate onto a big bowl or platter and garnish with more sesame seeds, if desired. Enjoy!