Japchae

Step 1: Mix 5 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp toasted sesame oil and ¼ tsp black pepper in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.

Step 2: Cook 7 oz sweet potato starch noodles (dangmyeon) in a large pan of boiling water for 6–7 minutes, until soft and chewy all the way through. Drain, rinse briefly under warm water and cut them a few times with scissors into manageable lengths. Taste one: it should be clear, springy and soft, with no white core.

Step 3: Put the hot noodles in a large bowl with a third of the sauce and toss well. They will soak it up as they sit.

Step 4: Blanch 7 oz spinach for 30 seconds, rinse in cold water, squeeze dry and add to the noodles.

Step 5: Heat a third of the ⅞ tbsp neutral oil in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Stir-fry 1 onion with a pinch of the ¼ tsp salt for 2 minutes until translucent. Add to the noodles.

Step 6: Add a little more of the ⅞ tbsp neutral oil and stir-fry 1 carrot and 1 red pepper with the rest of the salt for 2 minutes. Add to the bowl.

Step 7: Add the last of the 1 ¼ tbsp neutral oil, then 6 shiitake mushrooms and 3 cloves garlic. Fry for 3 minutes until soft, add 3 spring onions for the last 30 seconds and tip everything into the bowl.

Step 8: Pour over the rest of the sauce and mix with your hands or tongs until the noodles are glossy and the vegetables evenly spread. Taste and add a little more soy sauce or sugar if needed.

Step 9: Scatter with 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds and serve warm or at room temperature. It keeps in the fridge for 2 days; warm it in a pan with a splash of water so the noodles soften again.