Mentsuyu (麺つゆ, noodle dipping sauce)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Medium saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Clean glass jar with lid

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu lightly with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the cold water and warm it slowly over low heat until the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot, about ten minutes. Lift the konbu out before the water boils, because boiling pulls bitterness and a slippery heaviness from the kelp into the stock.

   That pale dust on good konbu is not dirt. It is part of the flavor you paid for, so wipe only any grit and leave the surface alone.
2. 2

   Add the bonito

   Bring the water just to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and turn off the heat. Let the flakes sink for two or three minutes without stirring. Strain through a cloth or fine strainer and let it drip naturally. Don't squeeze, or the strong oily flavors in the flakes will cloud the clean dashi.

3. 3

   Make the kaeshi

   In a clean saucepan, warm the mirin over medium heat until it just begins to bubble, then simmer it gently for one minute. This softens its raw alcohol edge. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved, then add the soy sauce and heat until the surface trembles at the edge of a simmer. Take it off the heat before it boils hard, because cooked-too-hard soy tastes sharp instead of round.

   Kaeshi is the seasoning base. If you have time, cool it and rest it overnight in the refrigerator before mixing. The flavor settles, and the soy loses its elbows.
4. 4

   Combine the base

   Measure 2 cups of the strained dashi into the warm kaeshi and stir. Taste it straight: it should be too strong to drink, salty-sweet and deep, because mentsuyu is a concentrate. If it tastes thin, add a little more dashi only after you know how you plan to serve it.

5. 5

   Cool and store

   Cool the mentsuyu quickly, pour it into a clean jar, and refrigerate. Use it after a few hours if you need dinner, or let it rest overnight for a smoother sauce. The bonito aroma is clearest in the first several days, so don't hoard it like treasure. Use it.

6. 6

   Dilute to serve

   For cold soba or somen, use the mentsuyu as-is or dilute 1 part mentsuyu with 1 part cold dashi or water if it tastes too strong. For warm udon broth, dilute 1 part mentsuyu with 3 parts hot dashi or water, then taste. The broth should support the noodle, not bully it.

Chef Tips

• •Use real mirin if you can, not corn-syrup seasoning labeled like mirin after a committee meeting. The sweetness is cleaner and the kaeshi rests better.
• •For a meatless table, make the dashi with 10g konbu and 3 dried shiitake soaked in the same 4 cups of water, then warmed gently. That is honmono in the temple-kitchen line, not a compromise.
• •Keep the sauce concentrated until serving. A strong jar stores better and gives you choices: cold dipping cup today, warm udon broth tomorrow.
• •If the sauce tastes salty but shallow, don't add sugar. It needs better dashi, or a little more of it. Salt is not depth.

Advance Preparation

• •The kaeshi can be made up to one week ahead and refrigerated. Resting softens the soy and makes the finished mentsuyu rounder.
• •Finished mentsuyu keeps 5 days refrigerated. For best aroma, use it within 3 days.
• •For cold noodles, chill the mentsuyu before serving. A cold dipping sauce keeps soba firm and clean.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 32g)