Somen 素麺
Chilled somen noodles are the perfect dish to beat the summer heat Served ice cold with garnishes and a light and tasty dipping broth, these Japanese cold noodles are a summertime favourite.
- Prep time
- 5 min
- Cook time
- 10 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 200 g dry somen noodles *1
- ½ cup mentsuyu *2
- ½ cup water for diluting mentsuyu
- 3 dried Shiitake Mushrooms
- ¼ cup water from the soaked dried mushrooms
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 Kinshi tamago *3
- 2 okura
- 2 slices ham(shredded)
- 3 cm ginger (grated)
- 1 tbs finely chopped negi shallots
- 2 shiso leaves(thinly cut)
- 1 myoga (thinly sliced)
- wasabi (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place 3 dry shiitake mushrooms into a bowl of water and put some kind of weight on the mushrooms so that the mushrooms submerge. Leave it refrigerated over night.
- 2
The next day, squeeze the soaking water out but save it in a bowl. Place 1/4 cup of the soaking water, sugar, soy sauce and mirin (listed in the 'toppings' ingredients) in a saucepan over medium heat. Slice the shiitake mushroom and put them into the saucepan to simmer for about 20 minutes with otoshibuta (dollop lid).
- 3
Let the shiitake mushrooms cool down to room temperature, place them into a storage container and chill in the fridge till the somen noodle is ready to serve.
- 4
If you are making kinshi tamago follow this recipe( see note *3)
- 5
Make the dipping sauce if you are making mentsuyu from scratch.
- 6
Dilute the mentsuyu with water and set aside.
- 7
Prepare the garnishes: slice the okura, grate the ginger, thinly slice the myoga, and cut the negi shallots finely.
- 8
Boil water (1- 1.5 liters or 6½ cups) in a large pot, add 1 bundle of somen noodle and cook for 2 minutes.
- 9
Drain the water and then leave the noodles under the running water to wash and cool down.
- 10
Place the noodles in a bowl of ice water to chill.
- 11
Serve the noodles with a few ice cubes, the toppings, the garnishes, and the dipping sauce separately.