Care for some “nyumen,” a type of “somen” thin noodles made from flour, but served piping hot?
“I recommend it, especially when you have no appetite,” says KimioTomura, owner of a Japanese restaurant.
He says it is the perfect dish for people who consume too much cold food during the stifling summer months.
The stock to go with noodles or vegetables should have full body.
Tomura recommends dried bonito shavings with “chiai,”dark meat. For clear Japanese soup, “chiai” is not needed. Another key is to finish cooking the stock and noodles at the same time. This is because the stock will lose flavor the longer it is kept boiling. Serves four.
INGREDIENTS
4 bundles (200 grams) somen
Stem of mitsuba, white sesame, green yuzu
For bonito and kelp stock:
8 cups water
15 grams dried kelp (konbu)
65 grams dried bonito shavings
1/2 tsp salt
Little more than 2 Tbsp sake
1 and 1/3 Tbsp soy sauce
METHOD
Immerse kelp in water for more than 2 hours.
Place pot with water and kelp on medium heat. Remove kelp when bubbles start rising.
Bring to a boil once, turn off heat and add bonito shavings. When they sink, drain through cloth place on sieve.
Bring water to a boil to cook somen. Cut mitsuba stems into 2 cm lengths.
Place stock on heat, add salt, sake and soy sauce. Do not simmer for too long. Start cooking somen.
When somen is cooked, rinse with running water to remove stickiness. Drain and move to pot with stock. Mix once and serve in bowl. Sprinkle with mitsuba and sesame. Top with grated yuzu zest.
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From The Asahi Shimbun's KashikoiOkazu column
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