Entree: Japan – Shikoku – 讃岐うどん ➤ Sanuki udon (chewy wheat noodles from Kagawa served in a clear soy and dashi broth)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 20 min

Additional 30 min

Total 1 hr

Ingredients

- 1 lb (450 g) fresh udon noodles (or 12 oz / 340 g dried udon)
- 6 cups (1.4 L) water (for dashi)
- 1 piece kombu (4 x 4 in / 10 g)
- 1 1/2 oz (45 g) katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) soy sauce
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) mirin
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sake
- 1 tsp (4 g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, approx. 200 g total (for soft-cooked onsen-style eggs) or to taste
- 4 stalks green onion, thinly sliced, about 1/2 cup (50 g)
- 1/2 cup (30 g) tenkasu (tempura bits) optional
- 8 slices kamaboko (fish cake), about 4 oz (115 g) optional
- Shichimi togarashi to taste
- Optional: wakame seaweed, rehydrated, 1/4 cup (5 g)

Instructions

1. Make dashi: in a medium pot combine 6 cups (1.4 L) water and kombu; soak 30 minutes if time allows. Heat slowly over medium until just before boiling, remove kombu, add katsuobushi, bring to a gentle boil 30 seconds, then turn off heat and steep 2 minutes. Strain through a sieve to yield clear dashi.
2. Return strained dashi to the pot and add soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar; bring to a gentle simmer, taste and adjust seasoning — this is the udon broth.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook udon noodles according to package for fresh (2–4 minutes) or dried (8–10 minutes) until al dente but chewy. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
4. While noodles cook, prepare eggs: for onsen-style soft eggs, heat a pot of water to 170–175°F (76–80°C) and hold there; gently add eggs and cook 12 minutes, then transfer to ice water briefly and peel. Alternatively, soft-boil 6–7 minutes in boiling water and cool.
5. Drain noodles and briefly rinse under warm water to relax them (for chilled serving skip rinse). Divide noodles among four bowls.
6. Reheat broth if necessary and ladle hot broth over noodles. Top each bowl with a soft-cooked egg (peeled), sliced green onion, a few slices of kamaboko or a sprinkle of wakame, and tenkasu if using.
7. Serve immediately with shichimi togarashi on the side for sprinkling.