Chef Kar Delight

Japanese Delights 2024
2.7 Kake udon

I shall prepare 21 delights of Japan and publish them in 7 consecutive episodes. Episode 1 was already published and now is episode 2.

Udon

Udon (うどん or 饂飩) is a thick noodle made from wheat flour, used in Japanese cuisine. There are a variety of ways it is prepared and served. Its simplest form is in a soup as kake udon with a mild broth called kakejiru made from dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. It is usually topped with thinly chopped scallions. Other common toppings include prawn tempura, kakiage (mixed tempura fritter), abura-age (sweet, deep-fried tofu pouches), kamaboko (sliced fish cake), and shichimi spice added to taste.

Standard broth differs by region. Dark (koikuchi) soy sauce is added in eastern Japan, while light (usukuchi) soy sauce is added in the west. Instant noodles are often sold in two (or more) versions accordingly.

More unusual variants include stir-fried yaki udon and curry udon made with Japanese curry. It is often used in shabu shabu or Japanese hot pot.

According to the Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS), udon noodles must meet the following criteria:

Diameter and width
Round udon noodles must have a diameter of at least 1.7 millimeters, and flat udon noodles must have a width of at least 1.7 millimeters

Texture
Udon noodles should be thick, firm, and supple, with a chewy yet soft bite. This is known as a mochi-mochi texture in Japanese.

Cross-sectional shape
The final cooking shape of the noodles should be a squircle, not a square. This shape is formed when the gluten in the noodles absorbs water.

Sanuki udon

Sanuki udon (讃岐うどん) has been the type of udon noodle most popular in the Kagawa prefecture in Japan, but is now easily found throughout the neighboring Kansai region and much of Japan. It is characterized by its square shape and flat edges with rather chewy texture, and in an authentic sense, ingredients should be from among those local specialties as wheat flour, Niboshi dried young sardines to cook broth for soup and dipping sauce. Many udon shops now specialize solely in sanuki-style chewy udon, and are usually identified by the text "sanuki" in hiragana (さぬき) appearing in the name of the shop or on the sign.

It is usually served as noodle soup or kamaage (udon) in which the noodles are served in plain hot water and eaten with dipping sauce. Originally popularized in the Kagawa Prefecture of Japan, nowadays various types of dashi is applied to the broth outside of Kagawa which varies in strength and flavor across Japan, such as made with more costly Katsuobushi.

Sanuki udon are named after the previous name of the Kagawa Prefecture, Sanuki Province. It has been featured in the 2016 anime, Poco's Udon World.

2.7 Kake udon かけうどん

Kake udon is a traditional Japanese noodle dish made with fresh udon noodles and kakejiru, a simple soup stock made with a combination of dashi, mirin, soy sauce, and other flavorful ingredients. Besides, there are curry udon, fried Tofu udon and tempura udon.

Without dashi, kakejiru broth will not be so rich in umami. The main ingredients of kakejiru broth are dashino moto (dried bonito) and dashi kombu (dried kelp). However， kakejiru can use other dried fish such as small sardine and mackerel, to produce a higher quality soup.

I specially prepared 3 types of Kake udon, namely Chicken Kake udon, Beef Kake udon and Salmon Kake udon to share with you.

▲ 4. Chicken Kake udon 鶏かけうどん

Chicken is marinated in soy sauce, mirin, garlic, sugar, and ginger and then roasted in an oven at 350F until the skin develops a candied, crackled, dark hue. The marinade is then reduced down to a rich sauce and glaze.

Wakame is soaked in cold water until soft. Fish cake is cut to slices. The other garnished vegetables are blanched for 2 minutes.

First put cooked udon in a big bowl. Pour in Kakejiru broth. Add Chicken and garnish.

Ingredients

Sanuki udon, chicken thighs with skin

Marinade

Japanese soy sauce, mirin, onion, garlic, brown sugar, ginger

Kakejiru Broth

Dashi Moto bonito soup stock, Dashi Kombu (dried kelp) , mirin, Japanese soy sauce

Garnish

Cabbage, red cabbage, wakame (dried seaweed), Narutomaki (鳴門巻き/なると巻き) fish cake

▲ 5. Beef Kake udon 牛かけうどん

Beef and onion are simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavored with dashi (fish and seaweed stock), soy sauce and mirin (sweet rice wine).

Wakame is soaked in cold water until soft. Fish cake is cut to slices. The other garnished vegetables are blanched for 2 minutes.

First put cooked udon in a big bowl. Pour in Kakejiru broth. Add beef and garnish.

Ingredients

Sanuki udon, beef thinly sliced, onion

Sweet sauce

Japanese soy sauce, mirin, dashi, brown sugar

Kakejiru Broth

Dashi Moto bonito soup stock, Dashi Kombu (dried kelp) , mirin, Japanese soy sauce

Garnish

Cabbage, red cabbage, wakame (dried seaweed), Narutomaki (鳴門巻き/なると巻き) fish cake, red onion

▲ 6. Salmon Kake udon 鮭かけうどん

Salmon is marinated in soy sauce, mirin, garlic, sugar, and ginger and then grill in a grill pan until the skin develops some candied and dark hues. The marinade is then reduced down to a rich sauce and glaze.

Wakame is soaked in cold water until soft. Fish cake is cut to slices. The other garnished vegetables are blanched for 2 minutes.

First put cooked udon in a big bowl. Pour in Kakejiru broth. Add salmon and garnish.

Ingredients

Sanuki udon, salmon

Marinade

Japanese soy sauce, mirin, garlic, brown sugar, and ginger

Kakejiru Broth

Dashi Moto bonito soup stock, Dashi Kombu (dried kelp) , mirin, Japanese soy sauce

Garnish

Cabbage, red cabbage, wakame (dried seaweed), Narutomaki (鳴門巻き/なると巻き) fish cake