Japanese Soba Noodles

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.

Apple Spice Cake

A lady (Katherine) at my workplace taught me this recipe 20 years ago. I have used it many times and it never fails! You can adjust the spices to get a flavour you like. I prefer less cinnamon and more nutmeg, but persevere with different spices. I have also substituted the apple with hard pear and persimmon and it turns out nicely.

Ingredients:

2 Medium apples

¾ cup sugar

1 ½ cups plain flour

1 tsp baking soda

½  teaspoon nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp all spice

Pinch salt

125 g (4oz) melted butter

1 egg

Dice peeled apples into a large bowl and sprinkle over the sugar. Add dry ingredients. Melt butter and add beaten egg. Then, add this to the other ingredients. This makes a very thick mixture. Pour into a greased ring pan and flatten top. Bake for 50 mins at 180°C (350°F). Do not ice. Sift icing sugar over the top when cooled.

Tips: Because there is a high concentration of butter it is best to remove from the tin immediately after taking it out of the oven to prevent cracking sticking. It is best to cut it once cooled.

ENTERTAINING – JAPANESE STYLE

Okonomiyaki – Japanese Cabbage Fritters – Kansai Style.

A Japanese Family Feast

This is a common dish from Japan that is sold at markets and fairs, much like our hotdogs. It is also a festive food served at home at family gatherings or special meals together. The Japanese make it on a hot plate in the centre of the table. There are many restaurants dedicated to this dish, as common as our fish and chip shops. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my family in Australia love it too! We make it on the BBQ and all gather around outside for a slow lunch. We always allow 2 hours of eating and drinking and share it one piece at a time over friendly conversation and warm laughter. I can make up to 6 large fritters (the size of a dinner plate) at one time on the two hot plates – I have a big family.  Surprisingly, they can eat almost 2 each!

The Big Party: to feed about 12-15 people. Makes 16 large patties. Ingredients: 1 large cabbage, 1 bunch shallots (spring onion), 500g cooked prawns, 500g fatty bacon, 16 eggs, 1 pkt Japanese finely chopped pink pickled ginger, 2 bottles of kewpie mayonnaise (or any whole egg mayonnaise), Optional:  ½ cup finely chopped seaweed, 1 pkt bonito flakes. Sauce: 1 cup Bulldog tonkatsu sauce (or a thick brown sauce eg: HP), ½ cup tomato ketchup, 2 tbsps worchestershire sauce, 1 tbsp French mustard. Batter: 1 peeled raw potato, 4 cups plain flour, 3-4 cups of water or fish stock. Slice up one whole cabbage thinly. Chop spring onion finely. Mix through cabbage and set aside in a large bowl. Peel prawns and chop bacon rashers in thirds, and remove the rind, set aside. Prepare the sauce. Mix all sauce ingredients in a small bowl until mustard disappears. Finely grate the potato, or mash in a food processor. Set aside. Mix the batter ingredients in a large bowl. Add the potato (and juices) and ginger. Add water gradually until it resembles a thin batter ready to pour. Have all the ingredients ready next to the grill. Make each fritter individually. Place a large handful of the cabbage, shallot mix into a small bowl. Pour batter over to coat (about two ladle’s full) and mix well, keep adding until a little batter runs to the bottom of the bowl. Add one egg and mix again. Add 5-6 prawns and stir. On the hot plate fry 3-4 strips of bacon on one side. Turn over and place them close together on the pan. Pour the okonomiyaki mixture on top and use a spatula to form a round shape. Turn BBQ heat to medium. Cook for 5 mins, until the surface is well browned.  Using two firm spatulas flip the patty. Reform the patty again using the spatula to keep it round. Press down on the top and leave to cook a further 5-10 mins, until cooked through. Flip again. Using a basting brush, spread the sauce over the top generously. Squeeze mayonnaise over the top. Optional: sprinkle finely chopped seaweed and bonito flakes over the top to finish. Cut the patty into 4 or 6 triangles. For large parties people take a slice at a time, but for smaller groups people can request their own okonomiyaki and make them individually.

I find it easier to make a large batch of the batter to start, but to mix the individual fritters in a separate bowl one at a time before pouring onto the hot plate. This ensures you have one egg per fritter and makes a nicer consistency. You will need lots of eggs and finely sliced cabbage! 

I cook the bacon first on one side,
then turn the bacon and pour the cabbage
batter on top. 

Flipping the patties

Smaller Quantities: Ingredients for 4 patties:

¼ cabbage, sliced thinly, 3 shallots, 1 cup cooked prawns, 4 rashers bacon, 4 eggs, 1 pkt Japanese finely chopped pink pickled ginger, 1 bottle kewpie mayonnaise.

½ peeled raw potato, 1 cup plain flour, 1-2 cups water.

Sauce ingredients remain the same.

I close the lid of the BBQ and wait
for the patties to cook through.

Cooked and ready to have the sauce put on

Tips: To make the pretty pattern of mayonnaise over the top, poke a hole in the mayonnaise lid with a nail. Squeeze the mayonnaise through the lid using fast movements back and forth over the patty.

Using a Barbie-mate or pizza cutter to cut the patties on the BBQ makes it easier to serve.

Lifting onto the egg

 Hiroshima-Yaki.

Break the egg onto the hotplate and
mix around, lift the cabbage mixture
on top before the egg sets.

These photos are of a Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki. This is a popular version of the above, using the same ingredients. The only difference is that the ingredients aren't mixed together, they are layered. 
Spread the batter on the hot plate, then arrange the cabbage and fillings on top. Leave to cook until batter is browned. Break an egg onto the hot plate and mixed around with a spatula forming a circle. Flip the cabbage patty upside-down onto the egg before it sets. Leave to cook, then flip one last time to put sauce and mayonnaise on top. This needs a bit of skill and confidence in the flipping, but can be a lot of fun, if it spills everywhere, then just shape it back into a circle again :).

Inside the layered Hiroshima-yaki.

When layering the Hiroshima-yaki we often add noodles
that have been tossed in the sauce.

 Use any kind of seafood or thinly sliced beef or pork. Some people like chunks of cheese in theirs, or create your own ideas!