Meal Prep & Storage

Making Kitsune (Skip if using store-bought)

• Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add ½ tsp salt. Mix to dissolve, then add 4 pieces fried tofu pouch (aburaage).
  
• Weigh down the aburaage with a drop lid or a weight on top of foil to keep them submerged and let them boil for 3 minutes.
  
• Drain and wash the aburaage with cold water to cool them. Gently squeeze out the liquid, being careful not to tear them.
  
• Take a saucepan and add 150 ml dashi stock, 2 tbsp mirin, 2 tbsp sugar, and 1 tbsp sake. Heat over medium while mixing until the sugar dissolves, then add 2 tbsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu).
  
• When the mixture starts to bubble around the edges, reduce the heat to a simmer and place the aburaage in the pot.
  
• Cover with a drop lid to submerge them in the mixture and simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by two-thirds.
  
• Transfer the contents of the saucepan to a sealable heatproof container and leave to cool to room temperature.
  
• Once cooled, place plastic wrap or kitchen paper directly on the surface of the aburaage and seal the container with a lid. Rest in the fridge for 3-4 hours, or up to 24 hours max.
  

Noodles & Broth

• Take a saucepan and add 120 ml dashi stock, 6 tbsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu), 2 tbsp mirin, and 2 tsp sugar. Boil for 1 minute to burn away some of the alcohol in the mirin.
  
• Turn off the heat and add 6-8 ice cubes to cool and dilute the concentrated broth.
  
• Boil a large pot of water and cook 4 portions dry soba noodles according to the package instructions.
  
• Drain the cooked soba and wash with cold water, then place in a bowl of ice water to chill completely.
  
• Drain and divide the noodles between serving bowls. Pour the sauce around them, then cut the marinated tofu pouches in half diagonally into triangles and place them on top of the noodles. Top with julienned cucumber, kamaboko fish cakes, halved boiled eggs, finely chopped green onions and Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi).
  
• Mix well before eating and enjoy!
  

• Take a bowl or container and add 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp grated apple, ½ tbsp sugar and ½ tsp grated ginger root. Mix well, then add 150 g thinly sliced beef. Mix until coated, then cover and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.
  
• Once the marinating time is up, heat a frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp cooking oil. Once hot, add 1 tbsp ginger root and fry until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
  
• Add the marinated beef along with the marinade and 50 g maitake mushrooms to the pan.
  
• Simmer the beef and mushrooms in the sauce until the beef is cooked and the mushrooms are softened, then remove the pan from the heat.
  
• Boil 2 ptns dry soba noodles in plenty of water for the time stated on the packaging. Once cooked, drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.
  
• While the noodles cook, make the soup. Take a separate pot and add 500 ml dashi stock, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp mirin, ½ tsp sugar, ½ tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and ½ tsp oyster sauce. Mix well and heat until it reaches a boil.
  
• Once boiling, turn off the heat. Take a small bowl and mix 1 tbsp potato starch (katakuriko) and 1 tbsp water to make a slurry. Slowly drizzle the slurry into the soup while mixing continuously to prevent lumps.
  
• Turn the heat back on and bring to a gentle simmer, mixing occasionally. In the meantime, crack 2 eggs into a jug and whisk thoroughly.
  
• Once the soup starts to bubble again, drizzle the whisked eggs into the pot one-third at a time, allowing the soup to return to simmer between each addition. Stir in one direction to prevent breaking the eggs. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, take the pot off the heat.
  
• Rinse the cooked soba noodles with hot water to warm them through, then shake thoroughly and place in serving bowls. Pour the eggs and soup over the noodles, then top with the beef and mushroom mixture.
  
• Garnish with finely chopped green onions, grated ginger root, and tempura flakes (tenkasu) to taste. See note for additional flavor variations. Enjoy!
  

• Start by whisking 250 g soba flour and 70 g bread flour together, then sifting them into a large bowl. Measure out 150 ml water and set it next to the bowl.
  
• Place the bowl on top of a damp tea towel to stop it from moving. Add a small amount of water from the jug to your hands, and mix it into the flour mixture by hand. Make a claw shape with your fingers and swirl in a circular motion.
  
• Continue to add the water a little at a time and mix thoroughly before adding the next part. It's important not to add too much water at once as this can make the flour unevenly hydrated. Depending on the season or climate, you might not need all of the water (or you might need a little more), adjust accordingly.
  
• Once there is no more dry flour and it becomes small rice grain-sized clumps, start pressing it together to form a dough.
  
• Knead the dough by folding the edges inward repeatedly. If the dough seems crumbly or cracks easily, moisten your hands with water and continue to knead until smooth. The bottom of the dough will show creases from the folding motion.
  
• Using the edges of the bowl, roll the dough into a cone shape.
  
• Place the dough on a surface lightly dusted with cornstarch, then press the cone flat to make a perfect disc shape. Dust the top with additional cornstarch.
  
• Use your palms to evenly stretch out the edges, flattening as much as possible before moving onto a rolling pin. Turn the dough occasionally to ensure it doesn't stick.
  
• Roll the dough out as thin as possible, preferably about 3mm thick. Then cut it into manageable pieces to feed through your pasta machine.
  
• Dust each piece with cornstarch before feeding through the pasta machine. Start with the widest setting (usually 0) and reduce by 1 setting each time until you reach "3" or spaghetti thickness equivalent.
  
• Use a spaghetti-cutting attachment to cut the soba noodles to the appropriate size.
  

How to Cook

• Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil and add the noodles. Cook for 1 minute 45 seconds, then drain and rinse with cold water to wash. If serving hot, rinse once more with hot water to warm through.

How to Store

• Divide the noodles into individual portions and carefully wrap them with plastic wrap, taking care not to squash them together. Place the bundles in a sealable zip lock bag or airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, or up to 1 month in the freezer.

• Cook 2 portions soba noodles according to the packaging.
  
• Add 500 ml dashi stock, 20 ml Japanese dark soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 20 ml Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu), 50 ml mirin and 1 tsp sake to a separate saucepan and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower to a simmer and add 30 g green onion. Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes.
  
• Divide the cooked soba into serving bowls and pour the broth over the top. Place the cooked spring onion on top of each bowl.
  
• Sprinkle 2 pinches Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) or your choice of additional toppings (see in post). Enjoy!
  

• Take 300 g duck breast and pat the surface dry with kitchen paper.
  
• Make shallow diagonal incisions on the fat about 0.5cm apart, then repeat in the opposite direction to score.
  
• Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides.
  
• Take a cold frying pan and place the duck inside with the skin-side facing down. Place the pan to the stove and turn on the heat to medium. Fry for 4 minutes. (Electric stoves take a bit longer to heat up so if you use electric stove, increase the cooking time accordingly.)
  
• Flip it over and fry on the other side for 30 seconds.
  
• Remove the duck breast from the pan and wrap it in foil. Leave it to rest for 3 minutes.
  
• Return the pan to the stove and heat it on medium. Once hot, place the duck breast back into the pan with the skin side down. Fry for 3 minutes while basting the surface with the excess fat and juices in the pan.
  
• Once 3 minutes are up, flip it over and fry on the other side for 30 seconds again.
  
• Remove from the pan and wrap it in the aluminum foil once again. Rest it in the foil until it’s time to cut and serve.
  
• Cook 4 portions soba noodles according to the instructions on the packaging.
  
• Pour the excess duck fat into a heatproof container and add the 100 g Japanese leek (naganegi) cut into 5cm pieces to the pan. Fry until lightly charred all over.
  
• Add the 1000 ml dashi stock, 2 ½ tbsp Japanese dark soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 2 ½ tbsp Japanese light soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu), 100 ml mirin and 2 tsp sake to the pan with the leeks and bring to a boil. Bubble for 1-2 minutes to cook off the alcohol in the mirin and sake.
  
• Thinly slice the duck breast and divide the cooked soba noodles into serving bowls. Pour the broth over the top and place 2-3 pieces of leeks and 2-3 slices of duck breast to each bowl. Sprinkle with chopped green onion, shichimi (optional).
  
• Enjoy!

• Take a small pan and add 200 ml dashi stock, 5 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 4 tsp mirin. Boil for 1 minute, add ½ tbsp sugar to the pan and mix until dissolved.
  
• Take the pan off the heat, pour the dipping sauce into a heatproof jug and add 1 dried shiitake mushroom. Leave to cool, then once cool to the touch, chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
  
• Cook 120 g dry soba noodles according to the instructions on the packaging (usually 5-6 minutes).
  
• Once cooked, pour the soba noodles into a strainer and drain away the cooking water. Rinse under cold water and add a few ice cubes to chill them quickly.
  
• Divide 1 tsp wasabi paste, 1 tsp grated ginger root, 2 tbsp tempura flakes (tenkasu) and 2 tbsp finely chopped green onions between small individual serving plates.
  
• Place the soba noodles on the "zaru" and sprinkle 2 tbsp kizami nori (shredded nori) over the top. Serve each portion with individual cups of dipping sauce and the plate of additional ingredients to mix in.
  
• Enjoy it on its own or with crispy tempura!

Prepping the Prawns

• First, deshell 8 black tiger shrimp leaving the tail on, and remove the veins.
  
• Place the prawns in a bowl with 2 pinches of salt and a tsp of cornstarch and rub it over the surface of the prawns. The salt is to dehydrate them so they fry better and the corn starch helps clean them.
  
• After a few minutes, run the prawns under cold running water to rinse off the salt and cornstarch, and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
  
• Next, cut the tails. Place the shrimp on its side and with the tail folded in half and trim it diagonally. The pointy tip should be cut off and be the shorter part of the diagonal. (This stops oil from splattering out when it's frying and makes a nice presentation.)
  
• Turn the prawn so the underbelly is facing up, and make diagonal incisions along the whole body. The incisions should be about 1cm apart and go about 1/2 way through the prawn.
  

Tempura

• Preheat your oil to 180 °C °C (356 °F). While you wait for it to heat up, take 150 ml cold water and 100 ml carbonated water from the fridge and pour them into a bowl.
  
• Add 1 egg and whisk. Remove any foam with a spoon.
  
• Take 150 g cake flour and 30 g cornstarch from the fridge and add it to a bowl one third at a time. Mix roughly between each addition. (It's fine to have lumps.)
  
• Dry your prawns and vegetables (4 fresh shiitake mushroom, 100 g eggplant, 8 perilla leaves (shiso)), then lightly coat them in flour. Dust off any excess.
  
• Test your oil by adding a drop of batter, if it floats and sizzles it's ready to start cooking.

  Dip each ingredient in the batter and then place it in the oil. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot. (I recommend cooking each type of ingredient together in batches rather than mixing them. Example: Shiso leaves batch, aubergine batch, shrimp batch etc.) Keep the batter in the fridge between batches.
  
• Once the batter puffs up and becomes crispy, remove the tempura from the pot before they become golden. Place on a wire rack to allow the excess oil to drop off.
  

Broth

• Boil 400 g dry soba noodles in a separate pot, follow the instructions on the packaging.
  
• Bring 1000 ml dashi stock to a boil and then add 5 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 2 tbsp mirin. Boil for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat and mix in ½ tsp salt.
  
• Once the soba noodles are ready, pour them into a colander and then run them under cold water and divide them into serving bowls.
  
• Pour the broth over the noodles and arrange the tempura on top. Garnish with your choice of toppings.
  
• Enjoy!

• First, boil 2 ptns dry soba noodles as instructed on the packaging. Once cooked, drain and wash the noodles under cold water. Place in a bowl of water with ice cubes to cool.
  
• Place 4 okra on a cutting board and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Rub the surface with your palms to remove any fuzz.
  
• Cut 1 tomato in half. Thinly slice one half and roughly cut the other. Roughly cut 1 eggplant and place it in a bowl of cold water to prevent discoloration. Cut the okra into thick pieces.
  
• Heat a pan on medium and add 1 tsp cooking oil. Once the oil shimmers, add 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger root and 100 g ground pork. Season with a pinch of salt and stir fry until the pork is cooked through.
  
• Drain the eggplant and add it to the pan. Fry until slightly softened.
  
• Add 1 ½ tbsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 2 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase), and mix thoroughly.
  
• Add the okra and roughly cut tomato, then continue to stir fry until the liquid has reduced and thickened. Once it coats the vegetables, remove the pan from the heat.
  
• Drain the soba noodles and drizzle with toasted sesame oil and a crack of ground black pepper. Toss until evenly coated.
  
• Divide the noodles between serving plates and top with the miso meat sauce. Garnish with the tomato slices, some finely chopped green onions and bonito flakes (katsuobushi). Enjoy!