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Samseon Jajangmyeon. It’s a popular version of Jajangmyeon that includes fresh seafood.

The name “Samseon” actually comes from the Korean pronunciation of the Chinese word sānxiān (三鲜) – which means "three fresh ingredients". The 3 most commonly fresh ingredients are shrimp, squid and sea cucumber.

Samseon Jajangmyeon is hands-down my favorite dish to order at Chinese-Korean restaurants. Along with a side of fried dumplings. And if in a group of 3+ people, you have to put in an order of Tangsuyuk (Sweet and Sour Pork).

So how is Samseon Jajangmyeon different to regular Jajangmyeon?

Well, not much. The only difference is the seafood ingredients. The sauce remains the same.

The primary ingredient in Jajangmyeon sauce is Chunjang Paste (that thick black paste show in the video).

Chunjang paste is made primarily from soybeans.

Soybeans are soaked in water overnight, then boiled and drained. Wheat and salt are added and mashed with the boiled beans. The mixture is then fermented for an extended period of time.

During this fermentation process, glucose and maltose are released – which give the black paste its distinctive slightly sweet taste.

At the end, you’re left with a thick paste that is salty, sweet and packed with umami.

Cooking Tips:

Fry the chunjang paste in a layer of oil for 2-3 minutes. It will turn the chunjang paste more savory, lighter and less bitter.

Note: When frying the paste, make sure to keep the heat at a low or medium-low heat. If you fry too hot or for too long, the paste will clump together into one lump (fail!)

In our video, we used 1.5 teaspoons (!) of sugar. But feel free to add in more if you'd like! (Every Jajangmyeon shop in Korea uses a different amount of sugar...)

Some Koreans prefer their Jajangmyeon sauce "dry" – not like a sauce. If you prefer this style (referred to as ‘gan-jjajang’ 간짜장), don’t add any water to the stir-fried mix.

After you make the paste, feel free to spread it over rice or noodles!

For more Jajangmyeon recipes, click below

-Korean Jajangmyeon Noodles
-Korean Jajangbap Rice

You can also find the Spicy Radish Salad here.

If you make the dish, don’t forget to tag us on Instagram. We’d love to see!

-Daniel Out 🕺

Samseon Jajangmyeon Sauce

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Ingredients

Fresh Ingredients

1 Squid
8-10 Shrimp
1 whole Potato Medium-Sized (Length of palm)
1 whole Onion
½ a whole Zucchini ½ a whole (Length of palm)
200 grams Pork

Jajang Sauce

½ cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Chunjang Paste
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
¾ cup Water
2 teaspoons (!) Oyster Sauce
1.5-2 teaspoons (!) Sugar (Add more if needed)

Corn Starch Slurry

2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Starch Powder (Corn Starch or Potato Starch)

Instructions

Prep Ingredients

Clean and cut squid into small pieces. Set aside 8-10 pieces of shrimp.
Dice potato into bite-sized pieces and set it aside into a separate bowl. Then dice your onion (1 whole) and zucchini (½ a whole) into bite-sized pieces as well.
Finally, dice the pork into small bite-sized pieces as well.

Blanche Ingredients

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil. Once it's boiling, add in the diced potatoes. Let them boil until they are half-way cooked through (~3 mins). Use a strainer and take out the potatoes pieces. Set it aside for now.
Next, add in the shrimp and squid pieces to the boiling water. Blanche them for about 45 seconds. Afterwards, use a strainer and let it sit to drip off excess water. Set aside.

Fry Chunjang Paste

Add in ½ cup of vegetable oil into a frying pan. Place it on a medium-low heat (or low heat).
Once the frying pan is hot, place in 2 Tablespoons of Chunjang Paste. Stir-fry the paste in the oil for 2 minutes. (If it gets too hot, reduce to low heat). After 2 minutes, carefully pour-out BOTH the oil and paste into a bowl.

Make Jajang Paste

Take out a wok. Add in 3 Tablespoons of oil (that you just used to fry the paste). Place on medium-high heat. Once hot, add in the minced pork. Stir-fry it around until most of the pink is gone.
Then add in Soy Sauce (1 Tablespoon). Followed by the diced onions, zucchini and potatoes. Stir-fry until the zucchini pieces get soft (~2 minutes).
After 2 minutes, add in the blanched shrimp & squid.
Add in 2 scoops of the stir-fried chunjang paste. Stir well and get everything coated in the black paste. Stir-fry for 1 minute.
Now, add in some water (¾ cup). Followed by Oyster Sauce (2 teaspoons!) and Sugar (1.5-2 teaspoons!). Once the pot comes back up to boil, let it boil away for another 2 minutes.
In the meanwhile, mix Starch Powder (1 Tablespoon) and Water (2 Tablespoon). Slowly drip half of the slurry into the mix. The sauce will thicken-up - add more if needed!
Spread your delicious Samseon Jajang sauce over a bowl of freshly made rice or noodles! Bon Appetit!

Tried this recipe?Tag us at @efutureneighbor with your dish!

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