← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp Sake
• 4 tbsp Mirin
• 4 tbsp Soy sauce
• 1 piece kombu (5 cm square)
• 10 g Bonito flakes
• 180 ml iced water
• 200 g Dried soba (buckwheat) noodles
• ½ sheet Nori, cut into thin strips
• 2 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 1 tsp Wasabi paste

Method

1. Bring the sake and mirin to the boil in a small pan and let them bubble for 30 seconds. Add the soy, kombu and bonito flakes, return to a gentle simmer, then turn off the heat and leave to steep for 10 min.
2. Strain the sauce, pressing the flakes, and stir in the iced water. Chill until needed.
3. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to the boil. Add the soba, stirring so the strands do not stick, and cook following the packet, usually 4–5 min.
4. Drain and rinse under cold running water, rubbing the noodles with your hands to wash off the starch, then plunge into iced water. Drain very well.
5. Pile the noodles onto a bamboo tray or plate and scatter the nori on top. Serve with small cups of dipping sauce, spring onion and wasabi to stir in as you like.

Tips

• Most soba contains wheat as well as buckwheat. For gluten-free, look for 100% buckwheat (juwari) soba and use tamari.
• Shop-bought mentsuyu concentrate is a fine shortcut: dilute it as the label says.

Sources

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

Just One Cookbook RecipeTin Japan Chopstick Chronicles