Japanese Appetizers, Soups and Noodles Recipes - Hot Soba Noodle Soup with Tempura Recipe

Ingredients

• 7 oz (200 g) soba noodles or buck­wheat pasta

• 12 cups (3 liters) water

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Finely sliced spring onions, to garnish

• Seven-spice chili powder (shichim), to serve

Hot Soba Dashi Broth

 

• 4 cups (1 liter) Basic Dashi Stock (see recipe) or 2 teaspoons   dashi stock granules dissolved in 4 cups (1 liter) hot water

• 3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon mirin

Tempura Batter

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 cup (250 ml) ice water

• 1 cup (150 g) cornstarch

Tempura

• 8 fresh medium shrimp Cornstarch, for dusting

• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, caps left whole

• 4 shiso leaves

• Oil, for deep-frying

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Method:

1. In an uncovered saucepan, boil the noodles in plenty of lightly salted water for 4 to 5 minutes, drain and chill in cold water, then drain again. Set aside.

2. To make the Hot Saba Dashi Broth, place all the ingredients into a sauce­pan, bring to a boil and immediately remove from the heat. Set aside in a warm place.

3. Make the Tempura Batter by mixing the egg yolk, ice water and cornstarch in a bowl and stir briskly. The Batter should be slightly lumpy.

4. To prepare the Tempura, peel the shrimp, discard the heads and keep the tails intact. Slit the back of each shrimp and Devin. Make several small incisions crosswise along the underside of the shrimp to prevent it from curling during the frying process.

5. Preheat the oil in a wok or saucepan until very hot. Dust each shrimp with the cornstarch, shake off any excess, then dip in the Tempura Batter and deep-fry in very hot oil for 1-2 minutes until light golden. Drain on paper towels. Dip the shiitake mushrooms and shiso leaves in the Batter and deep-fry. Drain on paper towels.

6. Divide the saba noodles into four bowls and ladle the broth over the noodles. Top with 2 shrimp, mushroom and shiso leaf in each bowl, and garnish with the spring onions and a sprinkling of seven-spice chili powder.