Udon Noodle Soup in Broth

Jun 18 2010 Published by under Food

For sushi friday I am making Kake-Udon, or Udon Noodle Soup in Broth. This is surprisingly tasty broth with very simple ingredients. Not only does it have simple ingredients, but it is also super easy and quick to make. There is a common variation of this soup called Tempura Udon, which is basically the same preparation with the addition of a tempura shrimp piece or two.

Udon Noodle Soup in Broth

Udon Noodle Soup in Broth

There a basically two main flavor varieties of this soup. You have the darker broth which is prepared with dark soy sauce, which is of a stronger flavor.  It is more popular int the eastern parts of Japan. You also have the lighter broth which is prepared with light soy sauce, which is of a milder flavor. It is more popular in the eastern parts of Japan.  As you can see from the photo, I prefer the darker variety.

What amazes me is how many different flavors the Japanese can achieve in their dishes using the same main ingredients of Dashi, Mirin, Soy Sauce, and Rice Vinegar. You can see from my previous recipes, the Sunomono Dressing is made up of the same ingredients in different proportions, as the stock for Miso Soup.

There is a traditional technique for cooking the Udon noodles. It requires a boiling pot of water and adding the noodles. Then you add 1 cup of cold water to stop the boiling. When it comes to a rolling boil again, add another cup of  cold water. You repeat this 4 times until the noodles are done, which usually takes 12 minutes. I have done this procedure several times and always takes 12 minutes.  I am not sure wether it makes a difference, but to me it reminds me of some of my grandmothers techniques for cooking food when you don’t have timers or thermometers. I have done the preparation like cooking pasta with a timer, and have not noticed a difference. I just reduce the cooking time to 10 minutes.

For Udon Soup in Broth

3 Ounces of Dry Udon Noodles
4 Cups of Water
2 Teaspoons of Dashinomoto
2 Tablespoons of Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon of Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Mirin
1 Sprig of Green Onions
Shimichi Togarashi (optional)

In a large  stock pot , bring about 2 liters of water to a boil. Cook the noodles either using the traditional technique (see above), or for ten minutes like if you were cooking pasta. Drain the noodles. Add 4 Cups of water in the pot and cook on medium heat. Dissolve the dashinomoto. Add the dark soy sauce, the sugar, and the mirin. When the sugar is dissolved the broth is done. For serving, I recommend that you combine the noodles and the broth just before you serve. If you do it ahead of time, the noodles will darken, and become very soft and gummy. Garnish with thinly chopped green onions, and if you like it spicy with some shimichi togarashi. Variations – If you want a milder flavor use light (regular) soy sauce instead of dark soy sauce. For Tempura Udon add one or two pieces of tempura shrimp as garnish.

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Gyozas with Dipping Sauce

Jun 12 2010 Published by under Food

Gyoza is a Japanese dish that originated in China. They are basically dumplings, filled with a meat and vegetable fillings. When I go to a Japanese restaurant I usually order them as a side order. They are a tasty treat that is hard to just eat one of them.

Gyoza in Dipping Sauce

The main difference between Chinese and Japanese Gyozas is that the Japanese version uses much more garlic. I love garlic, so this is fine by me. Another recommendation is to serve them hot, as they do not taste as good when you reheat them. If you serve them over rice they could be offered as a main dish. I have also added them to an udon soup.

For Gyoza

20 Gyoza Wrappers
1/2 Pound of Ground Pork
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/4 Cup Cabbage
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Teaspoon grated Ginger
2 Chopped Green Onions
1 Teaspoon of Salt
1 Teaspoon of Soy Sauce
Vegetable Oil

Shred the cabbage and blanch quickly in boiling water.  Mix the cabbage, pork, sesame oil, ginger,  garlic, green onions, salt, soy sauce in a large bowl. Add about 1 Teaspoon of filling per Gyoza wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half, sealing the edges. If you have trouble getting the edge to seal, add a little water to the edge. Fill all the Gyoza wrappers. Add vegetable oil to a frying pan. Place the Gyoza on one side and fry on that side only until golden brown. When golden brown, add 1/2 cup a water to the frying pan and cover. Steam the gyoza until the water is evaporated.

For dipping sauce
1/2 Cup of Water
1/2 Teaspoon of dashinomoto
3 Tablespoons of mirin
3 Soy Sauce

In hot water dissolve the dashinomoto. Add mirin and soy sauce. Can be serve on the plate with the Gyozas or on a separate dipping bowl.

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Sunomono Salad

Jun 04 2010 Published by under Food

One of the lightest most wonderful salads of the Japanese cuisine is the sunomono salad. The frase sunomono means “vinegared food.” When people think of vinegar they think of some foul tasting. The Japanese use rice vinegar which is not that sour as normal vinegar. The dressing used for this salad is called Amazu which means Sweet Vinegar, which precisely describes the taste.

Sunomono Salad

Sunomono Salad

This salad is really light and crisp. It is perfect for hot summer days when you need something that tastes fresh. I made mine with shrimp and surimi, but you can use other fish ingredients. The dressing is a sweet sauce that also very fresh. The idea is to add barely enough dressing so you taste the salad, not the sauce.

For sunomono

2 Cucumbers
6 Cooked Shrimp
2 Surimi Sticks
4 Tablespoons of Sweet Vinegar dressing (recipe follows)
1 Sprinkle of Toasted Sesame Seeds

Peel and core the cucumbers. Julian the cucumbers into small spaghetti like strips 1/8 of an inch thick. If you have a mandolin this process is much faster. Cool the cucumber in the refrigerator. Cut the surimi into small pieces. To assemble the salad make sure all the ingredients are cold. Add the cucumber strips into the bowl. Add about 1 Tablespoon of sweet vinegar. Add the surimi and the shrimp. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Variation — You can also use cooked octopus, and furikake as toppings.

For Sweet Vinegar dressing

1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar
2 1/2 Tablespoons of Sugar
1/2 Cup of water
1/2 Teaspoon of Dashinomoto

Add water to a small sauce pan. Dissolve the dashinomoto. Add the sugar and vinegar. Boil until the sugar is dissolved. Cool down. Place in the refrigerator to make it cold. For this this you need the dressing to be cold.

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Miso Shiru

May 21 2010 Published by under Food

Miso shiru is a Japanese soup that can be served in any Sushi meal. The soup consists of a seaweed and bonito stock which is called Dashi mixed with Miso paste. Traditionally Miso soup is one of the most common breakfast dishes in Japan. When it is part of another meal, it is usually served at the end. The soup can be accompanied by other vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu. Fish can also be added. It is a very nutritious meal since it has a high protein and high fiber content combined with a lot of vitamins. It is very low in calories so it can easily be a good diet food.  The only problem that stops it from being the perfect meal is that it also contains a large amount of sodium.

Miso Soup

Miso Soup

The characteristic flavor of this soup it is something that is hard to define. The Japanese say that the flavor is called umami, which they propose is the fifth flavor type to accompany salty, sweet, bitter, and sour. Seawead is one of the food that has the highest umami content. Other food with umami are beef, lamb, and soy sauce. Umami is sometimes refereed as savoriness.  Children tend to like umami flavors because they remind themselves of mother’s milk which also has a high umami content. The ingredients will not be found in a regular supermarket but rather found in an asian market. It is Sushi Friday, so here is my recipe for another great Japanese dish.

For Miso Soup

2 Cups of Water
1/2 Teaspoon Dashinomoto
1 Tablespoon Dried Wakame
2 Oz Tofu
1 Tablespoon Miso Paste
Chives (optional)
Shichimi togarashi (optional)

Add water, wakame and dashinomoto to small sauce pan. Warm the soup but do not let it boil. Dice tofu into small cubes and add to the soup. Remove a 1/4 cup of liquid to a heat resistant cup. Mix in the miso paste with the water until the miso is dissolved. Add the dissolved miso to the soup. Mix the soup. Garnish with finely cut up chives, or Shichimi Togarashi (japanese chili powder). Optional – You can also add other vegetables, mushrooms, cooked shrimp or fish to the soup.

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Sushi Rice

May 14 2010 Published by under Food

Rice is one of the most important ingredients in the world. It is the basic food staple for many countries. In Japan rice is not only a main dish, but it is also used to make rice vinegar, mirin, and sake. The Japanese have several words for rice. It is called okome when it is not cooked. Meshi, or Gohan is the name for rice when it is cooked or when it indicates that rice is the main ingredient of the dish. You can not have an authentic Japanese meal without rice, but most importantly you need rice in order to make Sushi Rolls for Sushi Friday.

Sushi Rice

There is a special preparation that is required to get perfect Sushi Rice. The rice has to have a special texture and consistency so that it holds its shape when it is formed into Sushi rolls. You need to use Short Grain Rice, which is package as Sushi Rice in the supermarket. The package can say Calrose, Blue Rose, or Kokuho Rose which is a sushi rice variety from Northern California. Kokuho Rose is my favorite type of short grain rice, and the only one I use for Sushi.

For Sushi Rice
2 cups of Sushi Rice
2 1/4 cups of water
Sushi Rice seasoning

First of all place the rice in a large bowl. Rinse and scrub the rice with cold water until the water that runs off is crystal clear. It will take four to five washings to remove the cloudy water. This removes the powdered bran and talc that sushi rice is shipped with. Rinse all the water completely. Add the measured amount of 2 1/4 cups of water. Let the rice stand in the water for at least 30 minutes. After the water and sushi have rested, put the ingredients into a steel pot with a tight fitting lid preferably made of glass so you can see through. Turn on the heat to high until the water in the pot is boiling. When you see the bubbles forming in the water reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Let the rice stand for an additional 15 minutes. Place the rice on a wooden or glass container. Season with the Sushi Rice Seasoning. Be careful no to add too much seasoning or your rice will turn out gooey and very wet. Fan the rice to dry it out. Cover with a damp cloth.

For the Sushi Rice seasoning
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
2 1/2 Tablespoons Mirin
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon Dashinomoto

Combine all ingredients in a pan. Place it on low heat till all the ingredients are dissolved. Let it cool. Store in a container in the refrigerator. This recipe will work for several sushi rice preparations. Use 4 Tablespoons of sugar to substitute for Mirin. You can also buy ready made Sushi Rice seasoning.

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