[ID: A plate full of thick noodles in a light sauce, topped with carrots, cabbage, scallions, red pickled ginger, and vegetarian beef. Second image is a close-up showing the texture of the beef. End ID]
焼きうどん / Yaki udon (Japanese fried noodles)
Yaki ("fried" or "grilled") udon combines thick, chewy udon with vegetables, seared meat, and a savory sauce. It's flavorful, filling, and, if you already have udon on hand, fast!
Udon have a place in 和食 (washoku; "Japanese food" or "harmonious food")—'traditional' Japanese food that predates the increased opening of Japan to foreign trade and influence in the Meiji period. Yaki udon, though, like curry udon and yakisoba, is a more recent entry into Japanese cuisine, and is associated with 洋食(yoshoku; Western-style food).
Udon may be purchased dried, frozen, or, if you have a local east Asian grocery store, fresh; or, you can make them yourself at home.
Recipe under the cut!
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A couple different types of sauce are commonly eaten with yaki udon; instructions to make each are given below.
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
For the dish:
2 servings (400g) fresh uncooked udon (180g dry; 500g frozen)
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 leaves green cabbage, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 inches (55g) carrot, julienned
3 scallions, cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces
3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp neutral oil
Ground black pepper, to taste
Benishoga (pickled red ginger), to garnish
Green "cannonball" cabbage (the kind most commonly sold in the U.S.) is the type usually used for yaki udon; if you choose to use napa cabbage, add it in a bit later in the cooking time than the rest of the vegetables.
For the meat:
1/4 cup (9g) heo lát chay or bò lát chay (optional)
1 cup hot water
1/2 tsp vegetarian 'beef' stock concentrate, or 'beef' pho seasoning
Heo lát chay (vegetarian pork slices) or bò lát chay (vegetarian beef slices) are Vietnamese meat replacements that can be found in the dried goods section of an Asian grocery store. They may also be labelled "vegetarian food," "vegetarian meat slice," or "vegan food." Pork belly is the most common meat used in yaki udon, but any meat or seafood substitute will work—or just omit the meat.
For the sauce:
Version 1:
1/4 cup usata sosu (ウスターソース), also often known as sosu (ソース)
1 tsp Japanese soy sauce, such as Kikkoman's
The linked recipe is for a from-scratch version of usata sosu, but you can also check my yakisoba recipe for a quick version.
Version 2:
Another common choice of sauce for yaki udon combines mentsuyu and soy sauce, instead of combining usata sosu and soy sauce (in the same proportion given above). If you don't have mentsuyu, you may substitute for it by combining:
2 Tbsp Japanese soy sauce
2 Tbsp sake
1 tsp mirin or granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kombu dashi powder, or powdered shiitake mushroom
Along with the 1 tsp soy sauce from above.
Instructions:
To cook the noodles:
1. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil. Shake excess starch off of the noodles and add them to the pot.
2. Cook, stirring occasionally with chopsticks or a pasta spoon, until the noodles are cooked through and no longer taste raw. This will take 10-13 minutes for fresh or dried noodles, and 13-15 minutes for frozen. If your frozen noodles are parboiled, they will only need to be blanched for 30 seconds to a minute: be sure to read the package instructions.
The noodles should be slippery and neither hard in the center (if dried) or mushy on the outside, but firm and "koshi" (こし or コシ; "with body," "al dente").
3. Drain and rinse with cold water to halt cooking and rinse off excess starch. Set aside.
For the meat:
1. Whisk stock concentrate into hot water until combined. Add heo or bò lát chay and allow to soak until rehydrated.
2. Simmer lát chay and stock in a small sauce pot until all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
For the dish:
1. Heat a large skillet or wok on medium-high for several minutes and then add oil. Sear lát chay, turning once, until browned on both sides.
2. Add sliced onion and continue to sauté, stirring occasionally, until translucent.
3. Add carrots, cabbage, mushrooms, and black pepper and stir to combine. Fry for a few minutes until vegetables are softened.
4. Add noodles and scallions and, using tongs or a spatula, stir to combine. Cook for a minute, until scallions are wilted.
5. Add sauce ingredients and stir. Cook for another few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Top with more black pepper and benishoga and serve warm.
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Vegetarian Shiitake Mushroom Burger. The Root Cafe. Little Rock, Arkansas. 12.12.2023.
NOTE TO SELF: I didn't want anything to heavy, so I went with this. The mushrooms themselves were good, but I the sandwich lacks something to hold it all together -- physically, as well as culinarily speaking. Maybe I should get it with cheese. Between the garlic vinaigrette on the salad and the garlic vinaigrette on the sandwich, I was garlic vinaigrette'd out.
I miss the way I used to feel about The Root Cafe, and I still love the concept, but these menu items just aren't doing it for me anymore.
Currently ranked 9th of 11 December meals.
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