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The Noodle 100 · make it at home

Kitsune udon in clear dashi, with sweet fried tofu

40 min · 2

Osaka's comfort bowl: thick, chewy udon in a light dashi with a sheet of sweet-simmered fried tofu. Frozen sanuki udon is excellent and how most Japanese homes do it.

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The real one

You need

• 2 portions udon, frozen sanuki style (about 500 g / 1 lb)
• For the dashi: 1 liter (4 cups) water, 10 g (a 10 cm square) kombu, 20 g (2 big handfuls) bonito flakes
• To season: 2 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi), 1 tbsp mirin, 1/2 tsp salt
• For the tofu: 2 sheets abura-age (fried tofu), 150 ml (2/3 cup) dashi, 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 1/2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp mirin
• To serve: 2 scallions sliced, kamaboko (fish cake) slices, shichimi pepper

How to make it

1. Dashi (20 min): Soak the kombu 15 minutes, heat to just below a boil and remove it. Add the bonito, simmer 1 minute, let it settle 2 minutes, strain.
2. Tofu (12 min): Pour boiling water over the abura-age to wash off oil, squeeze, cut each sheet in half. Simmer in the 150 ml dashi with the soy, sugar and mirin, turning, until the liquid is almost gone, 10 minutes.
3. Broth (3 min): Season the rest of the dashi with the light soy, mirin and salt. It should taste delicate.
4. Noodles (2 min): Drop the frozen udon into boiling water and cook 1 minute until loose. Drain.
5. Serve: Put the noodles in warmed bowls, pour over hot broth, and top with the tofu, kamaboko and scallions. Shichimi at the table.

Tips

• Light soy keeps the broth pale; dark soy turns it brown like Tokyo's.
• Curry udon: thicken the broth with a block of Japanese curry roux.

Chef Amazing's own home version, in our words; not any shop's recipe.