Winter

Winter Soba

January 26, 2011
4
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

My buckwheat noodle obsession continues. - thirschfeld —thirschfeld

Test Kitchen Notes

Tasty, tasty, tasty! Dashi often sounds like such a daunting task, however it is actually fairly quick and simple to make. It takes longer to source the ingredients than to make it! What a simple and delicious meal this is. I'm already looking forward to having it again. My soy sauce was a little salty, so test yours before adding the whole amount. —Victoria Ross

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Ingredients
  • For the dashi:
  • 1 ginger finger, 2 inches long and slivered into 4 pieces lengthwise
  • 1 konbu, 4 x 6 inch piece wiped with a damp cloth
  • 2 cups bonito flakes
  • 5 cups cold water
  • For the Winter Soba
  • 10 ounces Japanese soba noodles, they should only have buckwheat and flour in them
  • 3 1/2 cups dashi
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons mirin
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 cup shiitakes, stems removed, jullienned
  • 2 leek, 3 inch white only, cut into super thin, no wider than a soba noodle, strips
  • 2 baby radishes, sliced into paper thin rounds
  • 2 scallions, cut into thin rounds
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 1 1/4 pounds salmon, skin removed, and minced
Directions
  1. For the dashi:
  2. Place the ginger, konbu and water in a large pot and put it over medium high heat. Once the water gets a few bubbles around the edges turn off the heat and set a timer for 10 minutes.
  3. At the end of 10 minutes remove the Konbu from the water and discard it. Turn the heat back on and once again when bubbles start to appear at the edges turn off the heat and add the bonito flakes. Set a timer for 10 minutes.
  4. When the timer goes off strain the stock into a bowl, discard the bonito flakes and clean out the pot.
  1. For the Winter Soba
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and cook them according to the instructions. Usually 3 to 5 minutes. Drain them and cool them under cold running water to stop the cooking. Clean the pot and add 6 inches of water. Add the vinegar to the water. Place it over medium heat.
  3. In a sauce pan add the dashi, soy, mirin, sugar, shiitakes and leeks. Place the pot over high heat and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium.
  4. Bring the pot with vinegar water to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium. Crack each egg into a separate saucer and gently slip them into the water.
  5. divide the noodles between four bowls. Place 4 oz of chopped salmon into each bowl, add some turnip slices. Bring the broth to a boil and ladle some into each bowl. Add some leeks and shiitakes to each bowl. Add a poached egg and then top with green onions, toasted sesame and furikake seasoning.
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23 Reviews

David S. June 18, 2016
I am planning to cook this for a group of people! Just a question: How find should the salmon be chopped?
Cheers
Colin C. June 22, 2015
Delicious - perfect as winter comes into Aus!
cucina D. May 8, 2014
just came across this recipe in a search and I fell in love... the flavor ingredients are perfect and this dish is just what me and my famiglia needs to make and soon! thank you for showcasing the beauty of salmon in this incredible preparation.
woodchuck29 March 26, 2014
A beautiful and amazing meal. Simple and yet so complex in flavors. Salmon cooked through in minutes and we added lightly seared scallops. Thank you.
lastnightsdinner February 12, 2011
This was dinner last night, and it was excellent. I had a nice piece of wild Alaskan sockeye and it poached just perfectly in the broth to medium doneness, so if anyone is squeamish about adding the uncooked fish at the end, don't be! A really great, flavorful, light but incredibly satisfying meal.
MaryMaryCulinary February 10, 2011
This looks fantastic! I have a bit of a buckwheat (not just noodle) obsession too. I went to the market today to look for all the ingredients I need to make dashi, but no luck. I am making my own buckwheat soba, though, which should be fun!
marcus_leon February 10, 2011
Is the salmon eaten raw? Looking at the recipe I don't see how the salmon is cooked.. and it looks raw in the photo.
MaryMaryCulinary February 10, 2011
I can't answer for thirschfeld, but I don't think it's cooked from the recipe and photo. If you are not a fan of raw fish, I wouldn't worry, because the tiny pieces of fish would cook in the boiling broth.
thirschfeld February 11, 2011
you can do it either way cooked or raw. It is chopped enough that if you pour the broth directly over it it will cook through. In the picture in fact the top may 1/16 of an inch is raw and the bottom is completely cooked from the broth. I like salmon med rare so for me it is perfect but if you prefer it done completely you can cook it in a saute pan and then break it into chunks. I would avoid simmering it in the dashi broth or you would probably loose the delicate and wonderful flavor of the broth to the salmon. Thanks MaryMary for you quick response to the question
marcus_leon February 11, 2011
thirschfeld, thanks, I did saute the salmon a bit before serving.. yummo !!
Greenstuff February 3, 2011
So interesting--the tasting notes call dashi "daunting," and only "fairly" quick and simple. A community member with a Japanese food-inspired name claims not to be a fan. What gives?! Dashi is one of the easiest best broths on earth. We should all be teaching it to the young and busy people in our lives, as dishes like this one are not only delicious, they are easy to make.
gingerroot January 27, 2011
Ahh...comfort in a bowl. And beautiful to boot.
thirschfeld January 27, 2011
Thank you gingerroot
edamame2003 January 26, 2011
this soba looks so comfy. makes me want to curl up in front of a fireplace and slurp. i'm not usually a fan of dashi, but I will have to try your version. really gorgeous.
thirschfeld January 27, 2011
Thanks edamame2003. What don't you like about dashi?
Constrained C. January 26, 2011
Beautiful picture. I've always wanted to learn how to make dashi. Do you ever use this dashi base for other dishes?
thirschfeld January 27, 2011
This is a standard dashi that would be a base for almost anything Japanese. It is miso soup base, terriyaki base, dipping sauce base. It is the simplest stock to make.
Midge January 26, 2011
Oh wow. This looks incredibly delicious.
thirschfeld January 26, 2011
thanks midge
lapadia January 26, 2011
Yum! Excellent recipe, thirshfeld...
thirschfeld January 26, 2011
Thanks lapadia
lastnightsdinner January 26, 2011
This is exactly the kind of thing I could eat every day. Beautiful.
thirschfeld January 26, 2011
Thanks lastnightsdinner