← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 800 ml Dashi powder or stock
• 2 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 1 tbsp Sake
• ½ tsp Salt
• 150 g boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size pieces
• 400 g frozen or vacuum-packed udon (2 portions)
• 4 slices Kamaboko (Japanese fish cake)
• 2 Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps scored with a cross
• 1 Spring onion, cut into 4 cm lengths
• 2 handfuls Spinach, blanched and squeezed dry
• 2 Eggs
• 4 prawn tempura (homemade or shop-bought) (optional)
• shichimi togarashi, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Bring the broth ingredients to a simmer in a flameproof clay pot, a small casserole or two individual pots over medium heat.
2. Add the chicken and simmer for 5 min, skimming off any foam.
3. Add the udon, fish cake, shiitake and spring onion, arranging them in sections. Simmer for 3–4 min, until the noodles are hot and loosened. Check that the chicken is cooked through (75°C / 165°F).
4. Make a hollow in the middle and crack in the eggs. Add the spinach to one side, cover and cook over low heat for 2–3 min, until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft.
5. Turn off the heat, lay the tempura on top so it stays crisp, and bring the pot straight to the table. Sprinkle with shichimi if you like.

Tips

• Add the tempura at the very end; it softens into the broth as you eat, which is part of the joy.
• The soft egg yolk is not fully cooked; simmer longer for a firm yolk for young children or during pregnancy.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Just One Cookbook Japanese Cooking 101