Chef Rika’s Favorite Udon [Japanese Cooking] – Dining with the Chef
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https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2019395/?cid=wohk-yt-2505-dwc395-hp
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Chewy Japanese udon, savory and umami-rich soup, plus crispy tempura—Chef Rika shows us how to make it all. Also, master the art of making handmade udon from scratch. It’s deliciously simple!
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(1) Tempura
Ingredients (Serves 1)
– 3 shiso leaves
– 3 shrimp
– 1 gobo burdock root
– 1/2 cup (100 ml) tempura flour
– 160 ml cold water
– Tempura flour for dusting, as needed
– Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Directions
1. For the Gobo: peel and cut into thin slices. Soak in water for 10 minutes. For the Shrimp: peel, leaving the tail intact. Remove the vein along the back using a skewer making a slit in the belly.
2. To make batter, mix the tempura flour and cold water lightly.
3. Heat oil to 180 degrees Celsius. For the Gobo: drain the gobo thoroughly. Dip in the batter and deep-fry for 1.5 to 2 minutes. For the Shrimp: dip in the batter and deep-fry for 1.5 to 2 minutes. For the Shiso leaves: coat both sides with the tempura flour and coat only one side with the batter. Deep-fry for 30 seconds.
(2) Tempura Udon
Ingredients (Serves 1)
– Frozen udon
– Dashi (udon soup):
– 30 g katsuobushi
– 2 pieces kombu (15×10 cm pieces)
– 1 l soft water
– 1 tsp usukuchi soy sauce
– 1 tsp Thai fish sauce
– 1 tsp sugar
– 1 tsp coarse salt
Toppings:
– Japanese green onions, as needed
Directions
1. To make the dashi, add the kombu and water to a pot and heat over low heat. Just before the water boils, take the kombu out of the pot and turn off the heat. Add the katsuobushi and let it sit for 10 minutes. Strain the dashi using a paper towel and strainer.
2. Add coarse salt, usukuchi soy sauce, Thai fish sauce and sugar while heating the dashi. Now the Udon soup is ready.
3. Add the frozen udon to boiling water in another pot and cook for 1 minute.
4. Thoroughly drain the boiled udon, place it in a bowl and mix well with the soup. Top with chopped green onions and tempura and it’s ready to serve.