Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional (19 page)
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Authors: Miyoko Nishimoto Schinner
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BOOK: Japanese Cooking - Contemporary & Traditional
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A refreshingly sweet dengaku sauce made of white miso with citrus overtones from the zest of yuzu (a Japanese citrus fruit) dresses slices of konnyaku. If yuzu is unavailable, lemon zest can be substituted, although it will have an obviously different aroma. Instead of konnyaku, Yu-Dofu (Tofu in Hot Water, page 73) can be the host for the sauce. Konnyaku served in this fashion is completely fat-free!
Yield: 4 servings
Mountain Yam with Plum Sauce12 ounces
naga-imo
(mountain yams), pared
naga-imo
(mountain yams), pared
2 tablespoons plum paste
2 tablespoons evaporated cane juice, or 3 tablespoons white grape juice concentrate
Slice the peeled yams into ¼-inch thick rounds, then slice the rounds diagonally to form sticks.
Combine the plum paste with the sweetener to make a sauce. Toss with the mountain yam sticks, divide among 6 small dishes, and serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
Noodles
O-Soba
B
ecause of their ease of preparation, lightness of fare, easy digestibility, and versatility, noodles are loved by the Japanese. They are even considered to be symbolic of longevity and are eaten on New Year’s Eve to ensure a long life.
ecause of their ease of preparation, lightness of fare, easy digestibility, and versatility, noodles are loved by the Japanese. They are even considered to be symbolic of longevity and are eaten on New Year’s Eve to ensure a long life.
S
oba
(buckwheat noodles) and
udon
(fat, white, wheat flour noodles) are the two basic forms of pasta in Japanese cuisine. Within these two broad categories are many variations, such as
cha-soba,
buckwheat noodles with green tea added,
somen,
a type of white angel hair pasta always served icy cold with a dipping sauce, or
kishimen,
a broad, flat wheat noodle. Both soba and udon can be served hot or cold, depending on the season.
oba
(buckwheat noodles) and
udon
(fat, white, wheat flour noodles) are the two basic forms of pasta in Japanese cuisine. Within these two broad categories are many variations, such as
cha-soba,
buckwheat noodles with green tea added,
somen,
a type of white angel hair pasta always served icy cold with a dipping sauce, or
kishimen,
a broad, flat wheat noodle. Both soba and udon can be served hot or cold, depending on the season.
By emulating the cholesterol- and fat-laden foods served by fast food restaurants in America, the Japanese have developed a concept that surpasses these in both speed and nutrition:
tachi-gui soba
stands (literally “stand-and-eat” soba stands). These are prevalent in and near every train station or wherever people may be in a hurry to down a bowl of something light yet healthful. In contrast, there are soba or udon restaurants that take the art of noodle making to its zenith. Flour is often ground on the premises and the noodles made by hand by a master noodle maker who often rolls and cuts his pasta in a window visible to passersby. These noodles have a wonderful flavor and texture, a “slippery” quality great for slurping. I know of two restaurants in Tokyo that serve the finest bowls of soba I have ever tasted. Each time I return to Japan, I go out of my way to schedule a trip to them, despite their cost. A diner is served a large bowl with hardly enough soba to satisfy—two or three slurps and it’s gone.
tachi-gui soba
stands (literally “stand-and-eat” soba stands). These are prevalent in and near every train station or wherever people may be in a hurry to down a bowl of something light yet healthful. In contrast, there are soba or udon restaurants that take the art of noodle making to its zenith. Flour is often ground on the premises and the noodles made by hand by a master noodle maker who often rolls and cuts his pasta in a window visible to passersby. These noodles have a wonderful flavor and texture, a “slippery” quality great for slurping. I know of two restaurants in Tokyo that serve the finest bowls of soba I have ever tasted. Each time I return to Japan, I go out of my way to schedule a trip to them, despite their cost. A diner is served a large bowl with hardly enough soba to satisfy—two or three slurps and it’s gone.
Either soba or udon can be used in any of the following dishes. To cook soba or udon, follow the package instructions. (Times may vary for each manufacturer.)
Soba-yu,
the water used to boil buckwheat noodles, is considered very healthful and is often served at the end of the meal to dilute the remaining soba broth, and then it is drunk. (This does not apply to udon.)
Soba or Udon in BrothSoba-yu,
the water used to boil buckwheat noodles, is considered very healthful and is often served at the end of the meal to dilute the remaining soba broth, and then it is drunk. (This does not apply to udon.)
Basic Broth for Soba or Udon (Soba or Udon Tsuyu)
3 cups
Konbu Dashi
(Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
Konbu Dashi
(Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
¼ to ½ teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably usu-kuchi)
2 tablespoons sake
1 teaspoon mirin
12 to 16 ounces soba or udon cooked according to package instructions and drained
Simmer everything but the noodles for 5 to 6 minutes. Pour over drained, hot noodles in four deep bowls. Top with chopped green onions if desired.
Food is generally saltier the farther north one travels in Japan. Thus, broths and sauces in Tokyo generally have a higher salt or soy sauce content than the equivalent in Osaka. In the following recipes, vary the amount of soy sauce or salt to suit your taste.
This recipe is for hot soba or udon. The noodles are served in a large bowl of broth and slurped loudly. According to Japanese noodle-eating etiquette, it is believed that a diner must slurp noisily or he cannot possibly enjoy the fullness of the dish. If you eat too quietly, you might be suspected of being a foreigner!
Yield: 4 servings
Tempura Soba or Udon1 recipe
Soba or Udon Tsuyu
(Basic Broth for Soba or Udon), page 110
Soba or Udon Tsuyu
(Basic Broth for Soba or Udon), page 110
12 to 16 ounces dry soba or udon, cooked and drained
12 to 16 pieces tempura (pages 90-92), or 4 pieces
kaki-age
(mixed vegetable tempura)
kaki-age
(mixed vegetable tempura)
Pour the broth over the noodles in bowls, and top with tempura. Serve immediately.
Wakame Soba or UdonWakame also makes a delightful topping for bowls of soba or udon. On top of each steaming bowl of
kake-soba
(soba or udon in broth) place a handful of chopped, reconstituted wakame.
kake-soba
(soba or udon in broth) place a handful of chopped, reconstituted wakame.
One of the tastiest ways to serve either soba or udon.
Yield: 4 servings
The Fox’s Favorite Soba or Udon1 recipe Basic Broth for Soba or Udon, page 110
½ cup
Konbu Dashi
(Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
Konbu Dashi
(Konbu or Konbu-Shiitake Stock), page 54
2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons FruitSource or sugar, or 3 tablespoons mirin
4 pieces
abura-age
(fried tofu pouches), cut in quarters or halves
abura-age
(fried tofu pouches), cut in quarters or halves
Place all the ingredients in a small pot. Cover tightly with a lid, and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the pieces of
abura-age
(fried tofu pouches) have softened, darkened, and absorbed the flavors. Place the age on top of each serving of basic soba or udon.
abura-age
(fried tofu pouches) have softened, darkened, and absorbed the flavors. Place the age on top of each serving of basic soba or udon.
Abura-age (fried tofu pouches) are cooked, seasoned, and placed atop steaming bowls of soba or udon. A favorite with children.
Yield: 4 servings
Curry Udon4 tablespoons oil
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1 to 2 tablespoons curry powder (depending on the type and degree of heat desired)
5 cups hot vegetable or mushroom stock
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons maple syrup or other sweetener, to round out the flavor (optional)
8 to 10 ounces udon noodles, or 4 bundles
Water for boiling the udon noodles
3 to 4 scallions, chopped (optional)
In a 2-quart saucepan, heat the oil. Add the flour and cook, stirring for a minute over low heat. Add the curry powder and cook another minute. Whisk in the hot vegetable stock all at once; it will thicken almost instantaneously. (If you have not heated the stock, add it a little at a time, whisking after each addition to prevent lumps.) Add the soy sauce and sweetener, and cook until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Meanwhile, cook the udon in a large pot of boiling water. When al dente, drain well, rinse, and place into 4 large bowls. Fill each bowl with curry sauce, top with scallions, and serve immediately.
My mother frequently made the instant kind of curry udon (like instant ramen) for me when I came home from from grade school. It was very comforting and satisfying—a big bowl of fat udon noodles swimming in a thick, curry broth—yet the mild spiciness was quite titillating to me as a child.
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