Koo-Chul-Paan

Ingredients

• 8 large dried Chinese mushrooms
• ¼ pound boneless loin of beef without fat
• 1 long, smooth-skinned cucumber of the sort sometimes referred to as burpless
• 1 onion, about 1/8 pound, peeled
• 1 carrot, about 1/4 pound, trimmed and scraped
• 24 Korean pancakes (see recipe)
• 1 tablespoon seasoning sauce (see recipe)
• Peanut, corn or vegetable oil
• Salt to taste if desired
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon cold water
• Mustard sauce (see recipe)

4 servings

Preparation

1. Put the mushrooms in a mixing bowl, and add warm water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes or until softened.
2. Cut the beef into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick. Stack the slices, and cut them into thin strips, about 1/8 inch thick. There should be about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
3. Cut half of the cucumber into 2-inch lengths. Using a sharp knife, cut away the skin, slicing in a continuous even motion to remove the skin in one piece along with about 1/8 inch of the white flesh. Place this skin on a flat surface and cut into very thin slivers. There should be about 1 cup loosely packed. Put the other half of the cucumber to another use.
4. Cut the white center of the cucumber pieces in half lengthwise and scoop away the seeds. Cut the firm white flesh into thin slivers like those of the skin. There should be about 1 cup loosely packed.
5. Cut the onion lengthwise into quarters. Cut each quarter crosswise into very thin slices. There should be about 1 cup loosely packed.
6. Cut the carrot crosswise into 2-inch lengths. Cut the carrot pieces lengthwise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Cut these slices into very thin slivers. There should be about 1 cup.
7. Drain the mushrooms and squeeze to extract as much liquid as possible. Cut the mushrooms into slices and then into very thin slivers. There should be about 1/2 cup.
8. Prepare the pancakes and seasoning sauce, and set aside.
9. Heat about 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet, and add the onions. Sprinkle lightly with salt and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove to a platter, making one mound. Repeat this using the strips of cucumber skin, cooking about 1 minute. Transfer this to the platter, making a second mound. Repeat the process with the cucumber flesh and carrots, cooking one batch at a time.
10. Clean the skillet, and add the meat with a touch of salt but no oil. Cook, stirring to separate the meat strips. Add the seasoning sauce. Cook, stirring, about 1 1/2 minutes. Transfer the meat to the platter.
11. Heat a little more oil in the skillet, and add the mushrooms. Cook about 1 minute; transfer to platter.
12. Heat a 10- or 11-inch Teflon skillet, and brush it with oil. Beat the egg yolks with the teaspoon of cold water. Add the yolks, swirling the skillet around to coat the bottom as thinly as possible. Cook about 15 to 20 seconds or until yolks are set on one side. Using a spatula and the fingers, carefully turn the set yolks over and cook briefly on the second side, about 10 seconds. Transfer to a plate.
13. Beat the egg whites briefly. Rub the skillet with a little more oil, and add the whites. Swirl the skillet around as before until the bottom is coated with the thinnest possible layer of whites. Cook about 2 minutes longer on one side until the whites are set top and bottom. Using spatula and fingers, turn and cook the second side about 30 seconds. Remove to a plate.
14. Cut the yolks into rectangles (trimming off the edges) measuring about 1 1/2 by 4 inches. Stack the rectangles, and cut them into 1 1/2-inch strips. Place the strips on the platter. Repeat this with the whites.
15. Serve the foods – pancakes, cucumber, mushrooms, beef and so on – at room temperature and in separate units, letting each person arrange his own. Place a pancake in the center of a small plate. Top it with small portions of the foods. Fold the pancake. Serve with portions of mustard sauce on the side, into which the pancakes are dipped as one eats.

1 hour 30 minutes