KitchenNippon

Ingredients for 4 Servings

Cooked udon (ゆでうどん / Yude udon) ４ portions (frozen or refrigerated)
Water (水 / Mizu) ２ l
Konbu (昆布 / Konbu) 1 piece (about 10cm long and wide)
Niboshi (煮干 / Niboshi) 10 (medium size)
Kongō-bushi (混合節 / Kongō-bushi)
(This is smoked and dried fish of various types)
or Broth bags (だしパック / Dashi pakku) 100 g
Light soy sauce (薄口しょうゆ / Usukuchi shōyu) 200 ml
Salt (塩/ Shio) Pinch

Abura-age Nimono
Abura-age (油揚げ / Abura-age) 4
Soup
Soup stock (だし汁 / Dashijiru) 100 ml
Sugar (砂糖 / Satōh) 1 1/2 tbsp
Hon mirin (本みりん / Hon mirin) 1 tbsp
Light soy sauce (薄口しょうゆ / Usukuchi shōyu) 1 tbsp
Sake (酒 / Sake) 1 tbsp

Garnish
Yuzu koshō (柚子こしょう / Yuzu koshō) To taste
Leeks (万能ねぎ / Bannō-negi) 4 tbsp minced
Kamaboko (かまぼこ / Kamaboko) 40g

How to Make
1. Pour 2 liters of water into a pot, and add the konbu and niboshi (with heads and organs removed). Set aside for about 1 hour.
2. Begin heating the pot. Remove the konbu just before the water boils. Add the kongō-bushi and bring to a boil, skimming off the foam that develops. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and allow the pot to sit for about 10 minutes.

3. Place a paper towel into a sieve to act as a filter, put a bowl or pot large enough to hold the soup stock on the counter, and then pour the soup stock through the sieve to remove the solids. Return the filtered soup stock to the pot, place the pot on medium heat and add the light soy sauce. Taste the stock and add salt if needed.
4. Fill a medium-size pot with water and bring it to a boil. While the water is heating, cut each of the abura-age in half, cross-wise, to get two squarish pieces. When the water has reached a boil, place the abura-age halves into the water, place a drop-lid on top, and boil for about five minutes. Drain the abura-age into a sieve. Put all of the abura-age nimono soup ingredients into the pot and bring them to a boil. Now add the abura-age halves to the soup and again cover them with a drop-lid. Reduce to low heat for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat.
5. Place the udon noodles in boiling water just long enough to heat them up. When the noodles are nice and hot, remove them from the water. Arrange them in serving bowls, add the abura-age nimono and soup, and garnish.

Recipe Developed by Machiko Tateno