Gomoku Soba (Noodles and Vegetables in a Flavorful Broth)
8 dried shiitake mushrooms
2 cups hot water
3 1/2 cups Konbu Dashi
5 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
1/2 cup sake
1/2 large carrot--thinly sliced
8 scallions--cut in 2 1/2" pieces
2 cups sliced Chinese cabbage--cut 1/2 inch thick
1 pound soba noodles
Soak the shiitake in 2 cups of very hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Reserving
the liquid, remove the soaked shiitake, trim off and discard the stems, and
slice the caps into strips. There should be 1 1/2 cups of shiitake dashi left.
Combine this will 3 1/2 cups of konbu dashi (or however much konbu dashi it
takes to make a total of 5 cups). Add the soy sauce, sake, and shiitake. Simmer.
Briefly cook each vegetable in the broth as it simmers, one vegetable at a time
so that everything is just barely cooked--or, just barely undercooked. Remove
the cooked vegetables from the stock and set aside for later.
Continue to simmer the broth as you cook the soba in a separate pot. After the
soba is cooked and drained, in each of four big bowls place approximately a
fourth of the noodles. Then arrange, as prettily as possible, the vegetables.
Pour a generous cup of broth over everything in each bowl. The broth must be
very hot so it can reheat the vegetables and egg. Garnish with chopped
scallions, and, if desired, hot red pepper flakes to taste.
Notes: Variation: Snow peas, spinach and mung sprouts are also very good in this
dish. Snow peas should be briefly cooked with the other vegetables. Add uncooked
spinach or sprouts to the serving bowl before pouring the hot broth over
everything.