Here is another delicious cold noodle dish from Japan, for hot, humid days! This serves about 4.
Make sure all of your ingredients are cold, to ensure the most refreshing dish!
The “Tsuyu” (sauce) can be homemade, but requires ingredients you may not have on hand (dried Fish Flakes, anyone?), so I recommend buying a Noodle Soup Base from the Asian section of a grocery store. Chill the sauce so that everything is cold!
** If you feel adventuresome, see below for a recipe to make Tsuyu from scratch
To make the thin egg crepe strips:
Whisk together 3 large eggs
Continue to whisk, adding:
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp Japanese dashi (or substitute water)
1 tsp corn starch
1/4 tsp salt
Strain this through a little wire sieve to ensure it is very smooth.
Heat a non-stick pan on medium heat (I did 6.5).
Wet, and squeeze out, a small towel and place it on the counter.
Dip a piece of waxed paper in vegetable oil and apply a thin layer to the pan.
Pour a very small amount of egg into the pan and quickly swirl it around by tilting the pan in all directions. You want this to be very thin!
Cover, and take the pan off the heat, to the wet towel on the counter. This stops the egg from browning, as it “sets” (this should only take 1 or 2 minutes, since the egg is so thin). The egg should not need to be flipped, but if it is not “set” after 2 minutes, you can flip it.
Transfer the egg to a sheet of paper towel, to cool. ** Tip: Lay 2 chopsticks on a plate. Lay a sheet of paper towel on top of the chop sticks. Place the egg on the paper towel. This way, air can circulate under the egg to cool it. 👍🏻 (sorry, I have not shown this, above)
Continue with the remaining egg mixture; lightly greasing the pan between batches.
When the egg “sheets” are completely cooled, cut the circles in half, lay on top of the other half, and cut in half again. Then slice this pile into long, fine, julienned strips. Chill as you prepare other ingredients.
Boil 1 package of (fine, white) Somen noodles, for 2.5 minutes, according the package instructions, in unsalted water. There are 4 or 5 “bundles” in a package. One small “bundle” of noodles is approximately one serving. (In Japan, they swirl the water with chopsticks, as they add the noodles, so that they don’t clump together)
When cooked, drain, and rinse, thoroughly, with cold water. At this point, noodles can even be refrigerated in cold water, to chill completely.
Julienne 1/2 – 3/4 of a washed English cucumber, leaving the skin on.
Julienne sliced deli ham.
Drain 2 cans of whole Mandarin orange wedges.
To serve:
Place cold, wet noodles in each serving bowl (the water clinging to the noodles will dilute the concentrated Sauce). Pour a bit of the chilled Tsuyu sauce over the noodles.
Place your toppings in piles over the noodles
Enjoy!
** Homemade Tsuyu (concentrated Noodle Soup Base): (but many stores sell a Japanese Noodle Soup Base. Preferably, find one made for Somen, cold noodles!)
(Yields 2 cups)
Boil 1/2 cup Sake, to remove alcohol.
Add:
1 & 1/8 cup Mirin
1 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
1 (2″x 2″) piece of Kombu (dried kelp)
1 cup dried Bonito Flakes
Boil together for 5 more minutes. Strain, and cool completely.
Chill thoroughly to use with Somen. (The water clinging to the cold Somen noodles will dilute this concentrated sauce)
Kerr Family Recipes 