Mandu-guk

Ingredients:

Dumplings

• 110 g mung bean sprouts
• 200g soft tofu, drained
• 60 grams of dangmyeon (Korean sweet potato noodles)
• 240 g of minced pork
• 110 g of ground beef
• 110g chopped Korean chives (about 1 cup chopped)
• 2 teaspoons mirin
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 tsp. dark sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 packages of 400g round pieces of dumpling dough

Bouillon

• 4 squares of dashima, 10 cm each.
• 40 dashima anchovies (large dried anchovies for soup or broth; about 80 g)
• 1 cup dried shrimp (about 110 g)
• 4 green onions, dark green parts cut diagonally, white and light green parts left whole
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• Half a Korean radish (about 240 g)
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 6 large eggs, beaten

Preparation:

1. Dumplings:
   
   Prepare an ice bath. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Blanch the mung bean sprouts until slightly soft and crisp, about 1 minute; transfer to a bowl of ice water. Do not discard the boiling water. Drain the mung bean sprouts, then transfer them to a piece of cheesecloth or a kitchen towel and pat dry, removing as much water as possible. Finely chop the mung bean sprouts and add to a large bowl. Using the same cheesecloth or kitchen towel, squeeze the tofu dry. Add the tofu to the bowl with the mung bean sprouts.
2. Place the dangmyeon in a medium bowl and pour the remaining boiling water over the noodles until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Drain the noodles and let cool slightly; finely chop and add to the same large bowl. Add the pork, beef, green onions, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, fish sauce, and 1.5 teaspoons of salt and toss to combine.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out the dumpling dough pieces on the counter, placing a small bowl of water next to them. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of filling into the center of each circle. Wet the edge of the dough with your finger, fold the circle in half, and seal. Cover with a slightly damp towel to prevent the dough from drying out. Repeat with the remaining filling and dough. While the broth is simmering, place the dumplings in the freezer.
4. Bouillon:
   
   Fill a 10-12-quart saucepan three-quarters full with water (about 8 quarts). Add the dashima and let it steep until it doubles in volume and the water turns a yellowish-green tint, about 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, remove the heads from the anchovies and cut them in half lengthwise to remove the black insides.
6. Bring the dashima to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until the dashima begins to foam around the edges, 1 to 2 minutes.
7. Discard the dashima, then add the anchovies, dried shrimp, white parts of the scallions, onions, and radishes. Bring to a boil again, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered (no more than 3-4 bubbles should appear on the surface), until some of the broth has evaporated and the remaining broth has darkened slightly, about 50 minutes. Strain through a sieve and return the broth to the same pan. Season with fish sauce, soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of salt, and a few pinches of freshly ground black pepper.
8. At this point, you can cool half the broth and freeze it along with half the dumplings for next time (be sure to store the broth and dumplings in separate containers).
9. Bring the broth to a boil, carefully lower the dumplings into it, and cook until they float to the top and the dough becomes translucent, about 8 minutes. Frozen dumplings may take longer to cook. Pour the beaten egg into the soup, immediately close the lid, and turn off the heat. Let stand until the egg sets, about 1 minute. Add the green onions and serve immediately.