crazy about udon noodles
One of the things I miss the most from all my trips to Tokyo is noodles in all kinds of shapes. Ramen, Soba and like here, Udon!
I remember going for lunch across the street from the HQ, in a shopping center close to Shinagawa station, for noodles in a small restaurant with a very happy and always smiling man. My favourite dish at that place was the udon noodles with pork, and I have tried to recreate something similar at home.
To make really good soup noodles the trick is to have a really good broth. And the best way to get a really good broth is to cook it yourself, it doesn’t cost almost anything but the time on the stove.
For this dish I cooked a stock on some sad carrots, parsnips and onions that were left unnoticed for too long. Added some veal leg and fresh bay leaf for deeper flavours. When you cook beef bone stock, you can either roast the bones and the veggies before or not. I decided not to roast, as I wanted a lighter stock. I placed the meat in a pot and covered with cold water and cooked it for about two hours, carefully skimmed when needed. Then added the vegetables and bay leaves and let it simmer for another 3-4 hours, then strained through a fine mesh.
I know that this sounds like a lot of effort, but I can assure you that it’s totally worth it. But when time is limited, I often use ready made stock too. It works perfectly fine!
udon noodles with bbq pork, shimeji mushrooms, miso & veal broth and soy pickled eggs
I was so happy to find both fresh shimeji mushrooms and fresh udon noodles at a supermarket here in Malmö.
Miso, ginger and veal broth
1 L veal stock (or similar)
1 tbsp white miso paste
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
50 g Shimeji mushrooms
ponzu
Heat the stock and melt the miso paste in it, add the finely chopped ginger and the shimeji mushrooms. Let it slowly simmer for at least 30 minutes. Add Ponzu or salt to taste.
Shoyu Tamago - soy pickled eggs
4 eggs
100 ml soy sauce
50 ml mirin
50 ml water
1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
Gently insert the eggs into boiling water, and let them cook for 6 minutes. Chill in cold water and peel when cold. Mix the marinade in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and let it simmer for 5 minutes, let it cool. Place the peeled eggs in a glass jar with a tight lid, and pour the marinade into the jar. Make sure the marinade covers the eggs, if not turn the jar every now and then to give the eggs and even colour. Keep the jar in the fridge for at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours to marinate.
I tried boiling the eggs for 6 and 8 minutes. The ones to the left for 8 and the ones to the right for 6 minutes, I prefer the ones that are less cooked.
finally, prepare the plate!
It’s always a lot of small preparations to do these kind of noodle soups, but most of it can be prepared before so the actual assembly of the dish is really quick. It’s perfect in these strange times when working from home.
Cook the noodles and add the thinly sliced BBQ pork (we actually had this piece of leftover BBQ pork in the freezer from earlier this summer), the mushrooms from the broth, the eggs and other toppings you might like, I had some pickled pumpkin.
Then pour the hot broth on top and finish with finely chopped spring onion, roasted sesame seeds and chili oil. Eat and feel happy about life!
I tried my best to recreate a small piece of Tokyo at home in Malmö. At least we can still travel the world through our food experiences, now when the world stands still!
