Hiyashi Somen Cold Noodles With Dipping Sauce Mark Bittman Food

HIYASHI SOMEN - COLD NOODLES WITH DIPPING SAUCE MARK BITTMAN

Steps:

• Combine the dashi with the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, and dried shrimp if you're using them in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, just until the sugar is dissolved, then strain the dipping sauce into another container sitting on a bowl of ice to cool (you want it to be between ice cold and room temperature).
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Drop in the somen and cook for 2 to 4 minutes, until tender, then rinse them in a colander under cold running water.
• Serve each guest a small bowl of noodles, twisted into a little nest on top of a couple of ice cubes, and a small bowl with 1/2 cup of the dipping sauce scattered with the minced scallion on the side. Pass a little dish of wasabi, if desired, stir into the dipping sauce.

COLD SOBA NOODLES WITH DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt it. Cook noodles until tender but not mushy. Drain, and quickly rinse under cold running water until cold. Drain well.
• Combine dashi or stock, soy sauce and mirin. Taste, and add a little more soy if the flavor is not strong enough. Serve noodles with garnishes, with sauce on side for dipping (or spooning over).

HIYASHI CHUKA NOODLES

Steps:

• Mix the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, chicken stock, sesame oil, and chili oil together in a small bowl, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Drain immediately, and refrigerate noodles until cold. Meanwhile, heat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour in the beaten egg and tilt the pan to thinly coat the bottom with egg. When firm, fold the egg in half and remove from the pan. Slice into thin strips.
• To serve, place cold noodles on serving plates. Top with separate piles of egg, cucumber, carrot, and ham. Pour the sauce over the top and sprinkle with crumbled nori. Serve with a touch of hot mustard on the side.

SHANGHAI-ISH COLD NOODLES

Steps:

• Blanch your vegetables - drop them in a wire sieve, place the basket into the boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer the vegetables to a bowl of ice water to shock. Repeat with any other vegetables; use the same pot of water for all. Drain thoroughly, pat dry with paper towels, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
• Prepare noodles according to package directions. When cooked, transfer to ice water, or rinse under cold running water until cool.
• Mix dressing in blender, or use immersion blender. If mixing by hand, combine peanut butter (or tahini) and sugar in a bowl. Whisk in liquid ingredients until smooth and homogenous.
• Combine noodles, additions, and dressing. Toss well and serve cold. Serves 3 as an entree (2 if they're very hungry), 6 as an appetizer/side dish.

SOMEN (COLD NOODLES) FOR TWO

Steps:

• Combine sesame oil, soy sauce, red peppers, tsuyu, and lime juice.
• Mix well and refrigerate.
• Chop and plate dipping items on a platter.
• Steam shrimp.
• Prepare somen according to directions (takes about 3 minutes once water is boiling).
• Rinse under cold water in a strainer.
• Place in a large bowl of ice.
• Serve with platter and dipping sauce.
• To eat, simply place a small quantity (about 1/5 cup) sauce in a small bowl or medium size glass and add the noodles and other ingredients.
• ***Reserve some of the dipping sauce for occasionally refreshing the dipping vessel fluid, which becomes slightly diluted from the noodle liquid.

COLD NOODLES WITH PEANUT SAUCE

Steps:

• Put the peanuts, 1/4 cup hot tea, and oil into a blender. Process until peanuts are almost smooth. Add ginger, garlic, chile, salt, sugar, soy sauce, Szechuan pepper, citrus juice, sesame oil, chili paste, cilantro and fish sauce. Process until smooth; if too thick, add up to 2 additional tbsp hot tea.
• Cook noodles according to package directions, to your preferred consistency. Drain and rinse under cold running water to stop the cooking. Toss with a drizzle of oil.
• Put the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water and add enough salt to estimate the saltiness of sea water. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Once the water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and leave the chicken breasts in the water for twenty minutes, covered. After twenty minutes, remove the chicken breasts from the liquid and let sit until cool enough to handle. Shred the chicken breasts by hand into bite-size strips.
• Peel the cucumber. Cut it in half lengthwise then remove the seeds with a spoon. Slice the cucumber diagonally.
• Divide the noodles between the four bowls, top with chicken and cucumbers, then add a few generous, heaping spoonfuls of peanut sauce. Garnish with sprigs of cilantro and encourage guests to mix everything together in their own bowls.
• Leftover sauce will keep in the fridge 1 week or the freezer 2 months.