Today kicked off our 5-day Japanese Essentials course at
The International Culinary Center with Chef Hiroko Shimbo and we jumped right into one of my favorite dishes, udon noodles. Chef Hiroko showed us how to create chewy, slippery, and delicious udon noodles using a few simple ingredients: AP flour, water, and salt. She made a cold broth with dashi (kelp/fish stock), sesame paste, shoyu (soy sauce), and mirin that was packed with umami flavor. The noodles were topped with some crisp cucumber, tomatoes, wakame, and scallion and finished with some ginger juice for spice.
Check out this video where Chef Hiroko shows us the proper technique for rolling the dough, and note how her petite frame has her standing on top of a ladder to roll the dough!
Tomorrow we will be grilling yakitori on a Binchotan grill which is always a good time!
Tara O'Keeffe