Hotaru's Menrui
Hotaru's Menrui
KITSUNE UDON (white flour noodles with deep fried tofu)
Kitsune means "fox" and this dish is named for the light brown color of the abura-age (deep fried tofu). Kitsune udon consists of noodles served in hot shoyu flavored dashi. If you live near an Asian food market you can buy abura-age, otherwise you can learn how to cook it here. There are many variants to this recipe, instead of the deep fried tofu try placing a piece of shrimp tenpura on top, or try topping with a raw egg... called tsukimi or "moon viewing" noodles since the raw egg looks like the moon).
INGREDIENTS
4 pieces of abura-age (deep fried tofu),
cut into large triangles
1 package of dried udon or soba noodles
(about 3/4 lb.)
4 green onions (finely slivered)
BROTH
6 1/2 cups of dashi
3 tablespoons of shoyu
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of sake
Heat the broth ingredients in a small pot, and in a separate sauce pan simmer the tofu in a cup of hot dashi. Meanwhile cook the dried noodles, then rinse them in a colander using hot water, drain, and then transfer to serving bowls. Place the tofu on top, pour the hot broth over the noodles and garnish with the green onions.
ZARU SOBA (cold soba *buckwheat* noodles on a basket tray)
This version of soba noodles is as simple as it gets. Served at room temperature or chilled, this is the perfect meal for a hot summer. The noodles are topped with crumbled nori, cubed tofu, green onions, and wasabi.
INGREDIENTS
1 ten once package of dried soba noodles
DIPPING SAUCE
1 1/4 cups of dashi (see basics for preparation method)
1/2 cup of shoyu
1/4 cup mirin
1 teaspoon sugar
CONDIMENTS
1 sheet nori seaweed (lightly toasted over the stove top flame
and then crumbled)
1/2 block of chilled tofu cut into small one inch cubes
4 tablespoons of finely diced green onions
1 tablespoon of wasabi paste
Ahead of time, mix and heat the dipping sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, remove and let cool (you can chill this if you like). Cook the dried soba noodles then rinse them well in a colander using cold water, drain, then place in ice water, drain again. Serve the soba on a woven bamboo tray (zaru) meant for noodles or in small lacquer bowls. Place the cubed tofu on top, and garnish with the green onions, crumbled nori, and wasabi. Using hashi (chopsticks), dip the noodles into the cold dipping sauce.
The Main Gates
The Dining Hall
