FORTUNE NOODLE SOUP
- FOR THE DUMPLINGS
- 1½ cups whole wheat flour
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup water, or more as needed
- 1 egg, beaten with a few teaspoons water
- 9 “fortunes” to put in 9 stuffed dumplings, either traditional or tasty fillings, but never meat, as this would signify sealing off good luck
- FOR THE SOUP
- 12 cups (3 quarts) Beef Stock
- 2 hot chile peppers
- 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and crushed
- 1 cup barley
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 large onion, chopped
- ½ cup chopped green onion, white and some green parts
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 pound boneless beef, partially frozen (for ease in cutting), trimmed, and cut into strips
- Salt to taste
- 1 daikon radish, peeled and cut into a dice (2 to 3 cups)—if it comes with leaves, you should wash and slice them and use them in place of the greens below
- 1 cup fresh peas
- ½ cup greens (spinach, watercress, etc.), washed, stems removed, stacked, and sliced
Instructions:
NEVER THINK THAT gutuk is too exotic to make. It’s a rich, thick, and deeply beefy soup, enlivened by the green of peas and the greens and also by the white of barley and radish—only exotic in its fragrant use of fenugreek. Not only is it a wonderful—and humorous—way to bring in the New Year, it is also, without the fortune dumplings, a great stick-to-the-ribs wintertime soup.
- TO PREPARE
-  In a large bowl, mix the flours for the dumplings and work in the water to a stiff dough. Depending on the and work in the water to a stiff dough. Depending on the dryness of the flour, you may have to use more water. Knead well, for at least 15 minutes, until the dough is
- elastic. Let the dough rest under a damp towel.
-  Prep the remaining ingredients as directed in the recipe list.
- TO COOK
- In a large soup pot, bring the stock to a boil over mediumhigh heat with the whole chile peppers and crushed ginger. Pour in the barley, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer while you prepare the vegetables and seasonings.
-  In a skillet or wok, heat the butter over medium heat and sauté the fenugreek seeds, stirring, until they are deep brown; be careful not to burn them. Remove from the pan and discard. Stir in the onion and garlic and sauté until lightly browned. Toss in the meat strips and sauté until they have lost their red color.
-  Remove the peppers and ginger from the soup pot, discarding them, and scrape the contents of the skillet into the soup. Wash the skillet out with some of the broth and pour back into the soup. You don’t want to miss a drop of flavor. Continue to simmer for another hour.
- Break the rested dumpling dough into four equal pieces and roll three of them between your palms or on a flat surface to make long snakes about ½ inch thick.
- Cut these into thin good-luck “coins,” sprinkle them with flour if they’re sticky, and set aside under the damp cloth.
-  Take the last piece of dough and roll it between your palms into a “snake” about 1 inch thick; pinch off nine balls of dough—you’ll probably have dough left over that you can discard it or use it for another purpose.
- Roll each piece of dough out on a floured board into a thin 4-inch round, brush all around the edges of each one with the beaten egg, place one of the “fortunes” (see below) in the middle, then fold in half to make a halfmoon and press with fork tines all around to seal. Turn each one over and press the fork tines all around the edges of the opposite side, too. Sprinkle with flour if they’re sticky and let rest briefly under the damp cloth.
-  In a separate large saucepan, bring a few inches of water to a boil over high heat, fit in a steamer basket, then place the dumplings in the basket, not touching, and steam for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the heat, use tongs to place them in a serving dish, cover, and set aside until serving time.
- After the meat has cooked in the soup for 1 hour, return the soup to a boil over medium-high heat, adding water if necessary, and add the salt, daikon, peas, greens, and reserved dumpling coins. Boil for 8 minutes, until and reserved dumpling coins. Boil for 8 minutes, until the dumpling coins are tender.
- TO SERVE
- Ladle soup into each bowl (they should be very small, if you expect your guest to eat nine bowlfuls), then ask your guests to pick out their “fortune momo” from the serving dish for you to place in their bowl.