Warm or cold, this dinner is always a family favorite.
Like many, my culinary career began in the front of house, aka I was a waitress. I worked at a high end Japanese restaurant in NYC, one I had dined at once with my mom and getting hired there felt like winning the lottery. I have always loved Japanese food, but my knowledge of the cuisine didn't stretch far beyond sushi and shumai. One of my favorite things about this particular Japanese restaurant was that their kitchen menu was just as exciting and extensive as their sushi bar menu. As servers, we would get to try small samplings of the food in order to accurately describe it to the diners and it was here that my love affair with soba began.
Most people associate Japanese noodles with ramen. Ramen, which use to evoke memories of microwaves, college dorm kitchens and being so hungry and impatient you'd burn your mouth has been replaced by rich bone broths, jammy eggs and patiently waiting in line for an hour to secure a coveted seat. It's no surprise that the bold flavors or ramen have swept the nation.
Soba, on the other hand, is all about subtle, delicate flavors. There are three main types of soba dishes: served hot with broth, served cold with broth, or served chilled on a bamboo plate with a broth on the side for dipping. Hot soba dishes usually include sliced duck breast, fried tofu or shrimp tempura, while cold soba can be topped with home made silken tofu, salmon roe, caviar, grated mountain yam and wasabi. Finally, chilled soba with a dipping broth is just that, noodles and broth. The simplicity of the dish is what makes Japanese food so unique and special.
While I try to honor the delicacy of Japanese flavors, I also like to play around with flavor and texture when I cook. I make soba every so often for my family and it comes in many forms. Because it can be served hot or cold, the variations seem endless. This week I split the difference and served this dish warm, as its the most tolerable temperature for my kids, who are 3 and 5 years old. Salmon is a great addition to this soba, as it can also be served hot or cold (or again in my case, closer to warm). I added some sweet, blanched snap peas for a bit of crunch and topped the dish with a sprinkling of togarashi. It might seem like this dish has a lot of moving parts, but if you can, I highly suggest you make your own dashi broth. It's really simple and you can make it a few days before you need to use and keep it in your fridge. Japanese products can be hard to get depending on where you live, so I usually order any specialty ingredients from Amazon or UmamiCart. The more you cook, the easier it becomes to figure out what substitutions work and which do not. I always do my best to point out where specialty ingredients can be subbed for something more standard. Don't shy away from a recipe just because you don't have all of the ingredients!
Soba Noodles in Dashi Broth with Spicy Roasted Salmon
Serves 4
Ingredients
1.5 lbs salmon, cut into 2" square pieces, skin on
1 tbs vegetable or peanut oil
1 tbs mayo
juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tsp yuzu koshu, wasabi or sriracha
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp mirin (sub 1/2 tsp maple syrup + 1/2 tsp rice vinegar)
1/2 lb fresh sugar snap peas
one pack soba noodles
optional garnishes: togarashi, chopped scallions, bonito flakes, nori flakes
For the Dashi
4 pieces kombu seaweed
2 cups bonito flakes
1 tbs soy sauce or tamari
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Dashi (can be made two days in advance)
Place kelp in a medium sauce pan or pot and cover with water. Let soak for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes heat over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, remove from heat. Carefully, remove the kelp from the pot with tongs. You will be straining this eventually so don't worry if a few small pieces are left behind. Add the bonito flakes to the broth and again place over high heat. Bring to a boil, and then down to a simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand for 15 minutes. Strain broth through a fine mesh sieve. Add the 1tbs soy sauce and stir. Set aside to cool. If storing before use, allow broth to cool to room temperature and then store in refrigerator in an airtight container.
Recipe
Preheat oven to 325°.
Add the vegetable oil, sesame oil, lemon juice, mayo, yuzu koshu (or wasabi or sriracha) and mirin to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cut salmon and gently mix to evenly coat the salmon in the marinade. I like to use my hand to make sure each piece of salmon is covered in the marinade. Spread the salmon out on a sheet pan covered in tin foil, skin side down. Roast in oven for about 7 minutes, or until the salmon pieces are just cooked through. Allow to rest at room temperature until serving.
Prep the snap peas by removing the stem end and string. Bring a medium pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the snap peas and boil for 3 minutes. Lift out the snap peas and transfer them to an ice bath (medium sized bowl filled with cold water and ice). Once cool, drain the peas, removing as much water as possible. Thinly slice and set aside.
Bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. Add the soba noodles and stir, making sure the noodles are clumping together. Boil for about 5 minutes or until al dente and strain. Run cold water over the noodles to prevent them from sticking and to cool them down quickly.
To serve: Place noodles in the bottom of a soup bowl. Scatter the noodles with snap peas. Pour the broth over the noodles. Using a spatula, offset spatula, or butter knife, gently lift the salmon from the sheet pan, leaving the skin behind. Place 4-5 pieces of salmon in each bowl, gently nestling them into the noodles. Garnish with chopped scallions, togarashi, bonito flakes or nori. Serve with chopsticks and a spoon and enjoy!
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