Cold Udon Noodles With Carrot And Egg Recipes

COLD TANUKI UDON

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients. If you are going to/need to make mentsuyu from scratch, follow the recipe here.
• Put wakake seaweed in a small bowl and soak for 15 minutes. After soaking, queeze the water out and set aside.
• Thinly slice the scallion.
• Peel the cucumber (leave some skin) and thinly slice diagonally. Then cut into julienne strips and set aside.
• Peel the daikon skin and grate. Squeeze the water out and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil for udon noodles. My favorite udon is the frozen Sanuki Udon. Blanch the frozen udon noodles in boiling water for 1 minute (no need to defrost). If you use dry noodles, follow the package instructions. Remove udon from boiling water and cool in an ice bath. Wait until it cools completely and drain.
• To make the sauce, add ⅓ cup of mentsuyu. My mentsuyu recipe should be diluted about 2-3 times depending on your preference. If you use store bought mentsuyu, read the directions to see if you can use it "straight" (no need to dilute) or if it should be diluted 2 times or 3 times. Add ice cubes to keep mentsuyu cool.
• Serve udon on the plate/bowl and add toppings on top. Pour the mentsuyu (sauce) over and enjoy!

COLD UDON NOODLES WITH CARROT AND EGG

Steps:

• In small saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to boil. Add udon, return to boil and lower heat to gentle simmer. Crack egg gently into nest of noodles, and cook 5 minutes.
• Add soy soup base and carrot, submerge egg beneath noodles and cook 6 minutes more. Adjust seasoning to taste, remove from heat and let cool. Transfer noodles, egg and carrot to plastic container; add desired amount of broth, and chill. Pack nori garnish in sandwich bag.

CABBAGE AND CARROT NOODLES WITH EGG

Steps:

• Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let sit for 20 minutes, until pliable. Drain in a colander and cut into 6-inch lengths with kitchen scissors. Set aside
• Mix together the broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl
• Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch steel skillet over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Meanwhile, beat 1 of the eggs in a bowl and add salt to taste. Swirl 1 teaspoon of the oil into the wok and add the egg, using a rubber spatula to scrape out every last bit. Tilt the wok to spread the egg into a pancake and cook until set, 30 seconds to a minute. Using a metal spatula, flip over the egg pancake and brown it for about 5 seconds, then transfer to a cutting board. Allow to cool and cut into 2-inch-long by 1/4-inch-wide slices. Repeat with the other egg
• Add the remaining oil to the wok, swirl the pan, then add the garlic, ginger and chili and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the cabbage and carrots and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, then add the noodles, the broth mixture and salt to taste. Turn the heat down to medium and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the noodles are just tender and the broth has evaporated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the eggs and cilantro, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds to a minute. Serve

MAKE-IT-YOUR-OWN UDON NOODLE SOUP

Steps:

• Prepare noodles according to package directions, and drain. Toss with a teaspoon of sesame, olive, vegetable or canola oil to prevent them from sticking together, and set aside.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it shimmers, and sauté the grated ginger and garlic until you smell it (less than a minute). Do your best not to burn it. Add 2 cups of stock to the pot. Be careful - it might splatter.
• Bring the stock to a boil, and lower the heat to a simmer (about medium-low). Add carrots (or any hard, root vegetables, if using), and cook until they are crisp-tender, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add tofu or any vegetables (except spinach), and cook until tender but still bright in color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat, and cover to keep warm.
• In a small pot, heat the remaining 1 cup of stock until it steams. Remove from the heat, and whisk in the miso paste until the miso is completely dissolved, then pour the entire miso mixture into the pot with the soup. (If using soy sauce instead of miso, skip this part and add the rest of the stock and soy sauce.) Stir in the cooked noodles and fresh spinach, if using, and heat through over medium-low, if necessary. Do not bring the soup to a boil with the miso: Some cooks believe this can ruin the miso's delicate flavor. Top as desired and season additionally, if desired, with soy sauce.