Recipe: Seafood <i>naeng myun</i>

Total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes, plus chilling time

Servings: 4

Note: From Jeongwon Chi. Her seafood version of naeng myun is made with a tangy seafood broth and topped with whole, sweet shrimp and skate wing. Black cod can be substituted for skate wing. Both are available at most Asian markets and fish markets. Korean buckwheat or arrowroot noodles and mirin are available at Korean markets.

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 pound daikon, peeled and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

1 teaspoon ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 green onions, trimmed and cut into thirds

2 tablespoons mirin

4 tablespoons distilled vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 pound skate wing (bones left intact), cut into 2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon salt

12 to 16 medium shrimp, headless and deveined, but with the shells left on

1 (22-ounce) package Korean buckwheat or arrowroot noodles

1 recipe quick-pickled cucumber

1 recipe quick-pickled daikon

Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

1. In a large stock pot, heat the sesame and vegetable oils over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the daikon, garlic and ginger; lower the heat to medium and sauté until slightly colored and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Add 4 cups of water, the chicken broth, green onions, mirin, vinegar and soy sauce and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Season the skate wing with 1 teaspoon salt. Add the skate wing and shrimp to the pot and cook just until the shrimp turn opaque and the skate is firm, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Remove the shrimp and skate wing to a small bowl and set aside.

4. Skim any scum off the top of the broth. Strain the broth into a container and chill over an ice bath, or refrigerate for about 2 hours, until very cold.

5. Prepare a large pot of boiling water and cook the buckwheat noodles according to package directions (about 2 minutes) until the noodles are just al dente, springy and chewy but not soft. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

6. Divide the noodles into four large soup bowls. Pour some of the chilled broth over each pile of noodles. Top each bowl evenly with shrimp and skate wing, daikon and cucumber. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.

Each serving: 975 calories; 55 grams protein; 150 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 17 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 85 mg. cholesterol; 1,141 mg. sodium.