I’ve been meaning to make this recipe for quite some time but I never got around to it until recently. I shouldn’t have waited so long. This is a dreamy udon dish. The sauce is silky from the egg yolks and parmesan cheese which coats the noodles perfectly. A bit of gochujang adds a very gentle heat and bits of bacon add salty umami to the dish.
To make this a stand out dish, look for fresh udon noodles such as Sun Noodle’s Nama Udon or check the freezer section at the market for blocks of frozen udon.
Here on Maui you can find Sun Noodle Udon at Island Grocery. They are fresh, thick, and delightfully chewy.
I chose to pasteurize the eggs for this recipe using the sous vide method (temperature controlled water bath). This extra step can improve the safety of the egg when the recipe does not call for fully cooking the egg such as in béarnaise sauce. If you don’t own a sous vide immersion circulator, check your local markets for pasteurized eggs such as Davidson’s (not to be confused with pasture raised).
The making of the rich and luscious sauce starts with two pasteurized egg yolks, parmesan cheese and a generous amount of black pepper. A bit of pasta water will be added later to achieve the perfect consistency to coat the noodles.
I can never resist a perfect bowl of noodles….
Stir Fried Udon with Bacon, Parmesan & Gochujang
2
servingsAdapted from Food52
Ingredients
2 slices thick cut bacon, sliced into 1/4-inch strips
4 scallions, thinly sliced (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 egg yolks (pasteurized recommended), at room temperature
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons gochujang (3 teaspoons if gochujang is mild or if you want to add more heat)
10 ounce package fresh udon or frozen udon
1/2 cup reserved udon cooking water
1/4 teaspoon roasted sesame oil – optional
pinch of kosher salt (optional) and coarsely ground black pepper (not optional) plus more to taste
Directions
- Bring a medium pot filled with water to boil the udon.
- Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, stirring often. Add scallions and garlic. Let the bacon fat render slowly and sauté all until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the heat if needed to avoid burning the garlic.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together the egg yolks, cheese, and some coarsely ground black pepper (about 8 turns). Set aside.
- Lower the skillet’s heat to low. Add soy sauce and gochujang and fry in the bacon’s oil, tossing to coat the bacon mixture with the sauce.
- Cook udon according to package directions. Make sure not to overcook the udon. Reserve 1/2 cup of the udon water. Drain udon in a colander and add to the skillet. Toss until well combined and udon noodles are coated in the gochujang-bacon sauce. Turn off the heat.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons reserved udon cooking water to the egg and cheese mixture and mix, to form a slightly looser paste. Add the udon noodles and toss until well combined. Drizzle in 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil (optional) and season the noodles with salt (optional). Divide the udon between two low sided bowls and season with a few more turns of coarsely ground pepper and reserved sliced scallions. Serve immediately.