Octopus Tteokguk: A Refreshing and Umami-Rich Noodle Soup
Easy Homemade Delicacy: Octopus Tteokguk Recipe
Here’s a recipe for a special delicacy, Octopus Tteokguk, that you can easily make at home with just fresh octopus! The water used to boil octopus is rich in taurine, known for its benefits in fatigue recovery, liver detoxification, vision improvement, and prevention of arteriosclerosis. This tteokguk, simmered in a broth brimming with taurine from the octopus, offers a refreshingly clean and deeply savory flavor explosion. Its clear and delightful broth makes it an excellent choice for a hangover cure! Discover the unique charm of Octopus Tteokguk and add a special touch to your dining table.
Tteokguk Ingredients
- Tteokguk rice cakes, for 4 servings (approx. 500g)
- Radish, 1/4 piece (approx. 150g)
- Green onion, 1/2 stalk
- Soy sauce for soup, 3 Tbsp
- Fish sauce concentrate, 2 Tbsp
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Octopus Preparation & Boiling Ingredients
- Prepared octopus, 150g
- All-purpose flour, 3 Tbsp
- Sugar, 1 Tbsp
- Prepared octopus, 150g
- All-purpose flour, 3 Tbsp
- Sugar, 1 Tbsp
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
First, prepare all the ingredients for the tteokguk. Soak the rice cakes in water. Slice the radish thinly and the green onion diagonally.
Step 2
Rice cakes freshly made at the mill become chewier when air-dried for about a day until slightly firm. Slicing them into bite-sized pieces and freezing them makes them versatile for tteokguk, tteokbokki, or grilled rice cakes. Homemade dried rice cakes are significantly chewier and tastier than store-bought ones.
Step 3
It’s crucial to clean the octopus thoroughly. To remove any impurities from the suction cups, mash some radish or rub the octopus with flour and sugar. This process cleans the octopus effectively and tenderizes it. Rinse it multiple times with clean water.
Step 4
Place the thickly sliced radish in a pot and add the whole octopus. Boil until the octopus turns red and changes color. Use just enough water to cover the octopus. Once cooked, remove the octopus, let it cool slightly, and then slice it into bite-sized pieces. (You’ll use 150g of the boiled octopus for the tteokguk; the rest can be enjoyed as seasoned boiled octopus salad.)
Step 5
I used 150g out of one whole octopus (approx. 300-400g) for the tteokguk. Save the remaining octopus for other dishes or enjoy it as a simple boiled octopus appetizer. Fresh octopus adds wonderful flavor to the soup.
Step 6
Remove the radish from the octopus broth and add the tteokguk rice cakes. Simmer for about 5 minutes until the rice cakes are tender. Be careful not to overcook them, as they can become mushy.
Step 7
Add the soy sauce for soup and fish sauce concentrate to season. Add salt if needed to achieve the desired taste. Add the sliced octopus and simmer for another 2-3 minutes to prevent it from becoming tough. Finally, add the diagonally sliced green onions and simmer briefly.
Step 8
Turn off the heat and sprinkle with a pinch of pepper to finish. Your refreshing and deeply flavorful Octopus Tteokguk is ready! Enjoy a hearty and delicious meal with this warm Octopus Tteokguk.
