Tempura Soba
SERVES: 4 DIFFICULTY: Medium COOKING TIME: 15 minutes
Everything about this just screams “Japaneasy!”
INGREDIENTS
1 Carrot (cut into strips)
1 Courgette (cut into strips)
60g Broccoli florets
60g French beans
60g Button mushrooms
115g Sweet potato (diced)
Oil for deep-frying
270g Hakubaku Soba noodles
1.2 litres Dashi broth
5 tbsp Mirin
5 tbsp Soy sauce
3 tbsp Dried bonito flakes
1 Egg yolk
450 ml Ice-cold water
180g Plain flour
Pinch Bi-Carbonate of soda
METHOD
- To prepare dipping sauce, bring the mirin to the boil in a small saucepan and continue to boil until reduced by half. Stir in the soy sauce and bonito flakes and return to the boil. Immediately remove from heat and strain. Transfer the sauce into a serving bowl and set aside.
- Blanch carrots in boiling water for one minute. Refresh under cold running water and drain well. Prepare the remaining vegetables.
- Stir the egg yolks and cold water together. Sift the flour and Bi-Carbonate of soda and add to egg yolk and water. Stir until smooth.
- Heat oil (in a wok or deep fat fryer) to about 180˚C. Coat the vegetables lightly in flour. Working in small batches, dip vegetables into batter and immediately deep- fry in the hot oil for about one minute. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm.
- Cook the noodles in the boiling dashi broth for four minutes. Drain, reserving the broth.
Pile the noodles into serving bowls and ladle in the broth. Top each bowl with a few deep-fried vegetables. Serve immediately, accompanied by the dipping sauce for the vegetables.