Sanuki Sea Stock Food

UDON NOODLE SOUP (KAKE UDON)

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, add the dashi, mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and salt.
• Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. Once the broth is simmering, remove it from the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside.
• Follow your mentsuyu bottle instructions to make the broth.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the water, mentsuyu, and mirin. Bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, remove the pot from the heat. Cover with a lid and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When the water comes to a full rolling boil, add udon noodles and cook according to the package instructions. For fresh homemade udon, separate and untangle the strands of noodles with your hands, and cook for 10 minutes.
• Using chopsticks, stir the noodles so they won't stick on the bottom of the pot.
• Drain the noodles into a colander and run under cold water.
• Once the noodles are cool enough to touch, rinse the starch off. Then change the faucet to hot water and run hot water to warm up the noodles.
• Serve the hot udon noodles in individual bowls. Pour hot broth over the noodles and top with chopped green onions and optional shichimi togarashi.

SEAFOOD STOCK

Steps:

• Warm the oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Add the shrimp shells, onions, carrots, and celery and saute for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Add 1 1/2 quarts of water, the white wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain through a sieve, pressing the solids. You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. You can make up the difference with water or wine if you need to.

SANUKI SEA STOCK

Steps:

• Place the dried sardines, kelp, and dried mushrooms in a deep pot and cover with the cold water. Place the pot over medium-high heat and wait until small bubbles appear around the rim before adjusting the heat to maintain a steady but not very vigorous simmer. Cook the stock for about 10 minutes, or until the broth becomes a pale gold. If large clouds of froth appear, skim them away. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the contents to sink to the bottom naturally, about 2 minutes.
• If you want a smoky flavor, add the bonito flakes (the more flakes you use, the smokier the flavor). Wait 2 or 3 minutes for the flakes to sink, and then strain the broth through a fine-woven muslin cloth, or a coffee-filter-lined colander.

COLD NOODLE SALAD WITH PONZU SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the ponzu sauce:
• Place the stock, soy sauce, and sugar in a small saucepan and heat slowly until small bubbles appear around the rim. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the bonito flakes. Wait 2 minutes, then add the lemon and/or lime juice. Strain the mixture through a fine-woven muslin cloth- or coffee filter-lined colander. Chill the sauce for at least 20 minutes, or refrigerate up to several days.
• Assemble the salad:
• If the cooked noodles seem sticky or pasty, quickly rinse in cold water and drain well. Divide them among 4 shallow serving bowls. Garnish the noodles with sesame seeds and chives or scallions. Serve the chilled ponzu sauce on the side to drizzle on and toss in just before eating.