Hiyashi Somen (Chilled Noodles w/ Spicy Dipping Sauce)
Dipping sauce:
1 cup Shiitake Dashi
2 cups Konbu Dashi
2/3 cup tamari soy sauce
1 cup sake
1/4 cup mirin
1 teaspoon grated peeled gingerroot
1/2 cup finely grated daikon
1/2 cup chopped scallions
3 tablespoons finely grated fresh wasabi (or 1 T powder)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 cucumber
2 cups sliced Chinese cabbage
16 snow peas
1 sheet nori
1 pound somen noodles
In a medium saucepan, combine the dipping sauce ingredients. Simmer, uncovered,
for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room
temperature.
Meanwhile, combine the daikon and the scallions and set aside. If using wasabi
powder, make a paste by thoroughly mixing a tablespoon of wasabi powder with 2
tablespoons of cold water. Cover the wasabi after grating or mixing.
Slice the red pepper half into thin strips. Peel and seed the cucumber half and
cut into matchstick pieces. Cut the Chinese cabbage into 1/2-inch slices. Stem
the snow peas. Blanch the Chinese cabbage in boiling water for 2 minutes and the
snow peas for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.
Toast the nori by waving it over a flame until it stiffens slightly, but be
careful--it burns easily. Crumble it into little pieces and set aside.
Boil the somen in 8 cups of water in a large pot for 3 minutes or according to
the directions on the package. Place the drained somen in a bowl of cold water
and ice cubes and let sit until completely cooled. Add more ice if necessary.
Drain the somen.
To serve, mound the cold somen in the middle of the platter. Arrange the
vegetables around the somen, paying great attention to color. Sprinkle the
crumbled nori on top of the noodles. In individual serving cups, put 1/3 to 1/2
cup of dipping sauce, 1 tablespoon daikon, 1 tablespoon scallions, and 1/2
teaspoon of wasabi or to taste. Dip each bite of somen and vegetables into the
dipping sauce. Keep freshening each sauce cup with more dipping sauce and
condiments, as needed.