Kitsune Soba (きつねそば, soba with sweet-simmered aburaage)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium pot for dashi
• •Cloth-lined fine-mesh strainer
• •Small pan for simmering aburaage
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment
• •Large pot for boiling soba
• •Noodle strainer or basket

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. That pale powder on the surface is flavor, not dirt. Put it in the cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten minutes, until small bubbles climb the sides of the pot. Lift the konbu out before the water boils, because boiling pulls out bitterness and a slick texture you don't want in a clear noodle broth.

   You're steeping the kelp. The slower rise gives the water time to take on its depth without roughening the stock.
2. 2

   Add katsuobushi

   Bring the water to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, then take the pot off the heat. Let the flakes sink on their own for two or three minutes. Don't stir them. Stirring clouds the stock and pulls out stronger flavors than this bowl needs.

3. 3

   Strain the dashi

   Strain the dashi through a cloth-lined strainer and let it drip naturally. Don't squeeze the flakes. Squeezing presses out oily, heavy notes, and the clean gold stock is what carries the whole bowl. You should have about 4 cups.

4. 4

   Clean the aburaage

   Set the aburaage in a shallow bowl and pour boiling water over both sides. Drain, then press gently between paper towels or a clean cloth. This removes excess frying oil so the tofu tastes clean and can absorb the simmering broth. If the sheets are very large, cut each into a neat rectangle that will sit proudly on the noodles.

5. 5

   Simmer the topping

   In a small pan, combine 1 cup dashi, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, the sugar, and 1 tablespoon mirin. Add the aburaage in a single layer and bring to a quiet simmer. Rest a wooden drop-lid, or a circle of parchment, directly on top and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until the tofu is glossy and the liquid has reduced but not vanished.

   The drop-lid keeps the seasoning moving over the tofu without stirring. Stirring can tear the aburaage, and this topping should arrive whole.
6. 6

   Season the soup

   In a separate pot, combine 3 cups dashi, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, and the salt. Warm it gently and taste. It should be savory and clear, a little more seasoned than plain soup because the soba will soften it. If it tastes flat, add a pinch of salt. If it tastes thin, it needs dashi, not more soy.

7. 7

   Cook the soba

   Boil the soba in plenty of unsalted water according to the package, usually 4 to 6 minutes. Stir when the noodles first go in so they don't cling. Taste one strand early: it should be tender but still have a little bite from the buckwheat.

8. 8

   Rinse and rewarm

   Drain the soba and rinse it under cold running water, rubbing lightly with your hands until the water runs mostly clear. This washes away surface starch that would cloud the broth and make the noodles sticky. Just before serving, dip the rinsed soba back into boiling water for 20 to 30 seconds to warm it, then drain well.

9. 9

   Assemble the bowls

   Divide the hot soba between two warmed bowls. Ladle in the clear soup, then lay one sheet of sweet-simmered aburaage over each bowl. Spoon a little of the aburaage simmering liquid over the tofu, not the whole pan, because the broth should stay balanced. Finish with scallion, a strip of yuzu peel if you have it, and shichimi tōgarashi at the table.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh, good aburaage if you can find it, the kind that feels light and puffy rather than stiff. If it smells strongly of old oil, change the dish or buy another packet. Nothing hidden.
• •For a meatless table, make the dashi with konbu and dried shiitake: soak 10g konbu and 3 dried shiitake in 4 cups cold water overnight, then warm gently and strain before boiling. It is temple-kitchen logic, and it is honmono, not a compromise.
• •Choose soba with buckwheat listed first if possible. Juwari soba, made with 100 percent buckwheat, has a stronger flavor but breaks more easily; hachiwari, about 80 percent buckwheat, is easier for a weeknight bowl.
• •Warm the bowls before assembling. A hot noodle soup loses its manners quickly in a cold bowl, and soba is best when it reaches the table promptly.
• •Don't pour all the aburaage simmering liquid into the soup. The topping should bleed a little sweetness into the broth as you eat, not turn the whole bowl into syrup.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it gently, and don't let it boil hard once seasoned.
• •The aburaage can be simmered a day ahead and kept refrigerated in its cooking liquid. Warm it gently in the same liquid before serving.
• •Slice the scallions a few hours ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Cut yuzu peel just before serving so its fragrance stays bright.
• •Cook the soba just before serving. Rinsed and held noodles lose their clean bite, and this bowl depends on that bite.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 720g)