Recipe: Udon noodles - the soothing nood

Udon noodles are so goddamn easy. The two main things that catch people out are overcrowding and overcooking. Less topping is more. And for that divine slippery, chewy texture, err on the side of undercooking. Once you nail the basics with udon, then you can get creative with toppings, adding no more than a couple. Try raw egg yolk, a slice of spiral fish cake (narutomaki), a deep-fried tempura prawn, sliced fried duck breast, bean sprouts, or a simple spoonful of Chilli Crisp Oil (page 205 of recipe book). The spice/condiment shichimi togarashi is good for sprinkling on top.

Serves 2

MENTSUYU STOCK

100 ml Japanese soy sauce
50 ml sake (dry rice wine)
50 ml water
100 ml mirin (sweet rice wine)
10 g dried shiitake mushrooms
10 g kombu seaweed 

UDON NOODLES

1 batch Mentsuyu Stock (above) or 1 cup (250 ml) store-bought udon sauce or kombu tsuyu
400 g (14 oz) ready-to-serve udon noodles
1 bok choy, dirty leaves removed, stem trimmed, halved and washed
2 soft-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
2 teaspoons finely chopped spring onion, green tops only
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

1. To make the stock, combine all the ingredients in a clean glass jar, give it a little shake, then seal well and refrigerate overnight. The next day, pour the mixture into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Strain and store in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. (Thinly slice the strained mushroom and kombu and use them as a condiment in your next bento box or just add them to the soup like we did here.) Note that this is concentrated stock, so don’t use it as is.

2. Prepare the broth by pouring the stock into a medium saucepan. Add an equal amount of water (about 1 cup/250 ml) and placing
over medium-low heat. Heat gently and don’t be afraid to taste it – it may need a little more water. Leave it to simmer gently while you prepare everything else, taking care not to let it reduce too much.

3. Meanwhile, in a separate, larger saucepan, boil 3-4 cups (750 ml-1 litre) water. Add the udon noodles and cook according to the packet directions (usually 2-3 minutes), giving them a stir to make sure they don’t clump. Drain well and then divide between serving bowls.

4. While the broth is still simmering, dunk the bok choy into it and count to ten.

5. Top the noodles with the broth, bok choy, a boiled egg, a garnish of spring onion and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Recipes extracted from Real World Dinner Solutions for The Exhausted by Yumi Stynes and Simon Davis, published by Murdoch Books, RRP: $45.