This is an Aussie version of a common Japanese dish. The
stock is usually fish stock made with Bonito flakes(dried shaved fish) and
Konbu (kelp), but to suit my family I have changed it to chicken stock. This
recipe makes a basic soup base that can be used with any mix of vegetables.
Adding sesame seeds or ginger to the dish is nice too. Traditionally I use
‘Yuzu’, a Japanese citrus fruit, but lemon or lime will substitute nicely. I am
growing some Vietnamese Coriander at the moment. It has a spicy taste to it.
Sometimes I chop a little into the dish for some zing.
Serves 4:
Soba noodles, 2 bunches
1 chicken
breast
1
capisicum/green pepper
2 sprigs of
spring onion/shallots
1 bunch
chives
1 pkt silken
tofu (kinugoshi)
1 cup baby
spinach or 3 cubes of frozen spinach
½ -3/4 cup
soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
1 tbsp
Chicken stock powder
1 tbsp Lemon
Juice
1 tbsp olive
oil
Salt and
pepper the chicken breast and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
Cook in the oven at 200°C for 20 mins, or until cooked. Set aside to cool. Pull
apart into strips.
Finely slice capsicum and fry in a small amount of oil. Chop
spring onion and chives thinly.
Boil a large full pot of water. Place the soba noodles in
the pot and boil for 3-4 mins until nearly tender. Drain and rinse with cold
water. Dish out portions into serving bowls. Arrange chicken and capsicum on
top. Sprinkle over the spring onion and chives.
Boil one medium pot ½
full of water. Add soy sauce, mirin, chicken
stock powder, and lemon juice. Add
spinach and chopped tofu. Bring to the boil and simmer for 1-2 mins. Spoon the
tofu and spinach mix over the noodles in the bowls.
Japanese food can be bought
at most major supermarkets now. Here are some of the ingredients I use and can
buy at my local store:
Soba noodles are sold dried in a packet of 3 bunches. Hakubaku is a brand that is common.
Kikkoman soy sauce is a good Japanese soy sauce. Be careful when adding the soy sauce. It is
very salty and once too much has been added it is difficult to dilute it and
you will be left with a lot of unwanted soup. Add it a little at a time tasting
it as you go, until you get the degree of saltiness you like.
Mirin is a brewed mix of
Sake (Japanese rice wine) and sugar. It is used to add sweetness to dishes and
also gives a little shine to stir frys. Mitsukan
Honteri is a common brand.
Kinugoshi Tofu or Silken Tofu:This is a very soft tofu with a delicate
flavour. It can be added to soups or stews, or mashed into egg or mince as a
healthy extender. I usually buy the cheapest tofu and it turns out to be the
nicest. Forget the expensive organic brands, they are too firm, taste too strong and are not suitable for
Japanese cuisine. Coles stopped stocking my favourite brand a year ago, but
they still have a brand that is sold in a white container with plastic film covering
the top. Silken tofu is very soft and fragile. Remove from the packet by
tipping it upside down onto a few paper towels. Wrap briefly in paper towels to
soak up excess liquid. The traditional way to cut tofu is to hold it in one
hand and cut it into the pot from your hand, but if you are not game to do this
chop it on a chopping board and gently scrape it into the pot. Once the tofu
has been added, be careful not to stir too much as the tofu will break up.
