Spicy Noodles, Snap Peas, & Mushrooms

Fill a large pot with water. Add a big pinch of salt; heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the fresh produce. In a bowl, combine the shiitake mushrooms and 1 cup of hot water. Peel the carrots and thinly slice into rounds. Peel and roughly chop the garlic. Cut off and discard the stem end of each snap pea; pull off and discard the tough string that runs the length of each pod. Cut in half on an angle. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Cut off and discard the ends of the enoki mushrooms; gently separate. In a bowl, combine the green tops of the scallions, half the mirin, half the vinegar, and up to 1/4 of the sambal oelek, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Add the enoki mushrooms; stir to combine. Drizzle with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the mushrooms marinate, crack the egg into a bowl. Add the remaining mirin and season with salt and pepper; whisk until smooth. In a medium pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the egg-mirin mixture, tilting the pan to completely coat the bottom. Cook, without stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the egg is set and cooked through. Using a spatula, loosen the edges of the omelette and carefully transfer to a cutting board. Let cool completely. Wipe out the pan.

Reserving the mushroom water, carefully transfer the shiitake mushrooms to a cutting board; finely chop. In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and white bottoms of the scallions. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until fragrant. Add the chopped shiitake mushrooms, reserved mushroom water, yakiniku sauce, and as much of the remaining sambal oelek as you'd like, depending on how spicy you'd like the dish to be. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes, or until slightly thickened and reduced in volume. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the sauce cooks, roll the omelette into a log and thinly slice.

While the sauce continues to cook, to the pot of boiling water, add the noodles (carefully separating with your hands before adding) and snap peas. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until the noodles are heated through and the peas are slightly softened. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

To the pot of cooked snap peas and noodles, add the sauce and remaining vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until thoroughly coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide between 2 dishes. Top with the marinated mushrooms (including the marinating liquid) and sliced omelette. Garnish with the peanuts. Enjoy!