Tsukimi Udon (月見うどん)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium pot for dashi
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Large pot for boiling udon
• •Deep udon bowls, warmed with hot water before serving
• •Long cooking chopsticks or tongs

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That pale bloom on the surface is flavor, not dirt. Put it in the cold water and warm it slowly over low heat, about ten minutes, until the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot. Lift the konbu out before the water boils, because boiling pulls bitterness and a slick edge into the stock.

   You're protecting clarity. A clear udon broth should taste deep but look light, which is why the kelp leaves before the boil.
2. 2

   Add the bonito

   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 settle for two or three minutes without stirring. They give up their aroma quickly, and stirring makes the stock cloudy for no reward.

3. 3

   Strain the dashi

   Strain the dashi through a cloth-lined sieve and let it drip on its own. Don't squeeze the flakes. Squeezing presses out strong, oily flavors, and this bowl wants a clean broth that supports the egg rather than bullying it.

4. 4

   Season the broth

   Return the dashi to the pot and add the usukuchi shōyu, mirin, and salt. Warm it until very hot but not violently boiling. Taste it. It should be slightly more seasoned than a plain soup, because the noodles and egg will soften it in the bowl.

   Usukuchi shōyu keeps the broth pale while adding salt and fragrance. If you use regular soy sauce, use a little less and accept a darker Kantō-leaning bowl.
5. 5

   Cook the udon

   Cook the udon in a separate pot of boiling water according to the package or until springy and hot through. Frozen udon often needs only one or two minutes. Drain well, because starchy cooking water dulls the clear broth you just made.

6. 6

   Build the bowls

   Divide the udon between two warmed bowls and make a shallow hollow in the center of each mound. Crack one egg into each hollow, keeping the yolk whole. Pour the very hot broth around the noodles and partly over the white, not straight onto the yolk, so the white turns softly cloudy and the yolk remains round like the moon.

7. 7

   Garnish and serve

   Scatter scallion to one side and tuck in a small fan of nori strips. Serve immediately with shichimi tōgarashi if you like. The bowl waits for no one: udon loses its spring as it sits, and the egg keeps cooking in the broth.

Chef Tips

• •Use the freshest egg you can buy, and choose pasteurized eggs if serving someone who avoids raw or barely set egg. The hot broth softens the white, but the yolk remains mostly fluid. That is the dish, so be honest about it.
• •Frozen udon is often better than tired fresh udon from a shelf. Good frozen noodles come back springy in boiling water, while poor fresh noodles can taste floury and limp.
• •For a meatless table, make shōjin dashi from konbu and dried shiitake. Soak 10g konbu and 2 dried shiitake in 4 cups cold water overnight, warm gently, then strain. That is honmono in the temple-kitchen line, not a compromise.
• •Warm the bowls before assembling. A cold bowl steals heat from the broth, and then the egg white won't soften properly. The moon deserves better manners than that.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Reheat gently before seasoning, and do not boil it hard.
• •For a deeper stock, soak the konbu in the measured cold water overnight in the refrigerator, then warm it slowly the next day.
• •Slice the scallions and cut the nori before cooking the noodles. Once the udon is hot, the bowl should be assembled without delay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 700g)