Tanuki Udon (たぬきうどん)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Yukihira-nabe (Japanese saucepan), or a small heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Tebo noodle strainer, or a colander
• •Two deep udon bowls

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten minutes. Pull the konbu the moment the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot.

   That pale bloom on konbu is flavor, not dirt. Boil the kelp and the stock turns faintly bitter and slick, so the rule is only the shortest way to say protect the clarity.
2. 2

   Add the flakes

   Bring the water to a gentle boil after the konbu comes out. Add the katsuobushi all at once, take the pot off the heat, and leave it alone for two or three minutes, until the flakes sink. Don't stir. Stirring roughs up the flakes and pulls stronger, oilier notes into the stock.

3. 3

   Strain the dashi

   Strain the dashi through a fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth. Let it drip by itself. Don't squeeze the flakes, tempting as it is, because squeezing clouds the broth and presses out the taste you were trying to leave behind.

4. 4

   Season the broth

   Return about 3 1/2 cups of dashi to the pot. Add the koikuchi shōyu, mirin, and salt, then bring it only to a quiet simmer for one minute. Taste it. It should be a little stronger than a sipping soup, because plain udon and tenkasu soften the seasoning as soon as they enter the bowl.

   If the broth tastes thin, add a spoonful more dashi or a pinch of salt, not a heavy hand of soy. Tanuki udon wants depth, not weight.
5. 5

   Crisp the tenkasu

   If the tenkasu feels soft or oily, spread it in a dry skillet over low heat for two or three minutes, shaking the pan once or twice, then tip it onto a plate. Crisp crumbs drink broth slowly. Limp crumbs surrender at once, which is a sad little performance for such a simple dish.

6. 6

   Cook the udon

   Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Add the udon and cook just until loosened and hot, usually one or two minutes for frozen noodles and a little less for fresh. Drain well. Don't cook the noodles in the dashi; their surface starch clouds the broth and dulls the clean aroma.

7. 7

   Warm the bowls

   Fill two deep udon bowls with hot water for a minute, then empty and dry them. Divide the drained noodles between the bowls. A warm bowl is not ceremony for its own sake; it keeps the broth bright and hot long enough for the tenkasu to change texture as you eat.

8. 8

   Finish at once

   Ladle the seasoned dashi over the noodles. Set two slices of kamaboko in each bowl if using, scatter the scallion, and add the tenkasu at the very last moment. Finish with a pinch of shichimi tōgarashi at the table. The first bite should have both crisp and soaked crumbs, which is the whole pleasure of Tokyo-style tanuki udon.

Chef Tips

• •Buy tenkasu from a tempura counter if you can. It should smell clean and faintly sweet from fresh oil, never stale. If the oil smells tired, leave it there. Nothing hidden.
• •Packeted agedama is a sensible stand-in when the ingredients are plain. Avoid heavily seasoned crumbs; the dashi has already done the speaking.
• •For a meatless table, make the dashi with konbu and dried shiitake. Soak the konbu with 2 dried shiitake overnight, warm gently, then strain. That's temple-kitchen logic, and honmono, not a compromise.
• •In Tokyo, ask for tanuki and you expect tenkasu. In Osaka, ask by topping if you care which bowl arrives: tenkasu for tempura crumbs, aburaage for fried tofu. Read the room you are in.

Advance Preparation

• •The konbu can soak in the cold water overnight in the refrigerator for a gentler dashi and a faster weeknight start.
• •Finished dashi keeps two days refrigerated. Season it just before serving, or keep the seasoned broth for one day and reheat it gently.
• •Slice the scallions and kamaboko a few hours ahead. Keep tenkasu airtight, then crisp it briefly just before serving so it meets the broth dry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 650g)