Hiyashi Somen - Cold Noodles With Dipping Sauce Mark Bittman

Submitted by Mrs Goodall

"Simple, quick and cold. This seems like the perfect hot summer lunch or light dinner! This is so easy to "jazz up" with toppings on the side. Poached and chilled shrimp, cilantro, thinly sliced cucumbers, ginger; just serve on the side and let guests add what they like! From Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World. Mark's note: If you want to significantly speed up an already fast dish, skip the dried shrimp and sugar."

 

• Ready In: 20mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• 2 cups dashi, preferably homemade
• 1⁄2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp (optional)
• 1 pinch salt, to taste
• 300 g somen noodles (3 bundles)
• 2 scallions, trimmed and minced
• 1 teaspoon wasabi (optional)

directions

1. 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).
2. 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.
3. 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.

Reviews

[LucyS-D]

This is a lot of fun to eat. The dipping sauce is a perfect complement to noodles. I stirred some wasabi in the dipping sauce and that was enjoyable.