Kamaage Udon (釜揚げうどん)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large deep pot
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Small saucepan for tsuyu
• •Wooden udon tub, or a deep warmed donburi
• •Small dipping cups (sobachoko)

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That pale bloom on the surface isn't dirt, it's flavor, and water would rinse it away. Put the konbu in 4 cups cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten minutes. Pull it out the moment the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot.

   You're steeping the konbu, not boiling it. Boil it hard and the dashi turns faintly bitter and slick, which is a poor trade for ten seconds of impatience.
2. 2

   Add the flakes

   Bring the konbu water just to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and take the pot off the heat. Let the flakes sink on their own for two or three minutes. Strain through a cloth-lined sieve and let the stock drip naturally. Don't squeeze, because squeezing presses harsh, oily flavors into the clear stock you were protecting.

3. 3

   Make the tsuyu

   Put the mirin in a small saucepan and let it bubble gently for about one minute, just long enough to soften the raw alcohol edge. Add 1 1/2 cups dashi and the shōyu, then bring the mixture back to a quiet simmer for two minutes. Taste it. It should be too strong to drink as soup, because the wet noodles and their cooking water will dilute each bite.

   A thin tsuyu makes the whole dish taste apologetic. Keep it bold in the cup, then let the noodles decide how much they take.
4. 4

   Prepare the table

   Slice the scallions, grate the ginger, and set out sesame and shichimi if using. Warm the serving bowl or wooden udon tub with hot water, then empty it. Warm the dipping cups too. This dish cools quickly, and a warm vessel gives the noodles a fair start.

5. 5

   Boil the udon

   Bring 4 quarts water to a full boil in a large pot. Add the udon and stir gently so the strands loosen without breaking. Fresh uncooked udon usually needs 8 to 12 minutes; frozen cooked blocks need only 1 to 2 minutes once the water returns to a boil. Taste a strand near the end. It should be tender through the center, springy but not chalky.

   The timer only gives advice. Your teeth give the answer. Since kamaage udon is not rinsed cold, cook it to the texture you want to eat now.
6. 6

   Serve kamaage

   Lift the udon straight from the pot into the warmed serving vessel, carrying some of the cooking water with it. Add enough hot cooking water to let the noodles move freely, but don't drown the bowl. Pour the hot tsuyu into small dipping cups and let each person add scallion, ginger, sesame, or shichimi to the cup. Eat by dipping a few strands at a time. If the sauce tastes too strong, loosen it with a spoonful of the noodle water.

Chef Tips

• •Use the best udon you can find. Fresh Sanuki-style noodles give the full chew and tenderness of this dish; frozen cooked udon is a sensible stand-in for a weeknight. Thin dried noodles can be good, but they won't give quite the same kamaage body.
• •Do not rinse the noodles. That cold rinse is right for other udon dishes, but here it washes away the starch and heat that make kamaage udon what it is.
• •Keep the tsuyu stronger than soup. The noodle arrives wet, and every dip brings a little cooking water with it. Weak sauce disappears before it reaches your tongue.
• •For a meatless table, make the dashi with konbu and dried shiitake, the way temple kitchens do. Soak 10g konbu and 2 dried shiitake in 4 cups cold water overnight, then warm gently and strain. That's honmono, not a compromise.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Reheat it gently before making the tsuyu.
• •The tsuyu can be made up to three days ahead. Keep it refrigerated, then warm it before serving so it meets the noodles properly.
• •Slice scallions and grate ginger just before serving. Cook the udon at the last moment; kamaage udon waits badly and tells on you at once.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 430g)