ENHYPEN's JAY Challenges Japanese Cuisine on 'Shh, Secret Chef'... Making 'Foot-Kneaded Udon'

ENHYPEN member JAY undertook a high-difficulty cooking process while challenging himself with Japanese cuisine on a blind cooking show.

In the 'Shh, Secret Chef' episode released by the official ENHYPEN channel, JAY is shown carrying out the entire process from making broth to pulling noodles with the theme of Japanese cuisine. Upon inspecting the prepared ingredients, JAY began cooking by speculating, "Seeing that there are seafood and frying powder, there is a high probability it is Japanese cuisine."

Broth made with kelp and bonito flakes and the shrimp frying process

The start of the cooking was the task of making broth. JAY gently brewed the broth using 50g of kelp and 1.5 liters of water. To this, he added 120cc of mirin, 360cc of soy sauce, and 120g of sugar, going through the process of boiling until the sugar dissolved. As the broth was being completed, JAY prepared black tiger shrimp. Through the process of making cuts on the back of the shrimp and pressing them, he cooked them so that the shrimp would spread out straight instead of curling when fried.

There was an unexpected obstacle during the process of making the frying batter. Although he mixed flour and water using a measuring cup, the desired consistency was not achieved, and JAY experienced difficulty, saying, "There was no problem with the measurements, but the consistency is not coming out." JAY constantly doubted his own cooking process and added more flour to adjust the consistency. Afterward, he continued the process of coating the shrimp in batter and frying them in oil.

The difficulty of 'Foot-Kneaded Udon' made by stepping inside plastic

The core of this dish was udon using the 'jokta (foot-kneading)' method, where the dough is kneaded using feet. JAY laid a mat on the floor, placed a large plastic bag over it, and put the dough inside the bag. In the process of taking off his shoes and putting his feet into the plastic bag to step on the dough, JAY expressed tension, asking, "Will our feet be hidden by just one plastic bag?"

The process of stepping on the dough to create a chewy texture was not easy. JAY expressed his struggles, saying, "Everything I do all day is doubtful." After completing the dough, he moved on to the stage of pulling noodles after a day-long aging process.

Udon dish completed with handmade noodles

After taking out the aged dough, JAY rolled it out thinly using a rolling pin. He performed the task of spreading it to a consistent thickness using his body weight while controlling it with flour so the dough would not stick. Afterward, he demonstrated the knife work of rolling the dough and slicing it to a thickness of 3mm.

As JAY put the handmade noodles into boiling water, he shared his thoughts, saying, "Cooking is enjoyable and fun." Although he went through several trials and errors during the cooking process regarding consistency adjustment and the dough stage, he showed himself focusing on the process of completing the dish with ingredients he made himself.

Source: ENHYPEN (YouTube)