Crispity crunch, salty-sweet, juicy, sassy.  In this dish, the bbq glazed duck rests atop homemade buckwheat udon noodles.  Udon are the thickest traditional Japanese noodles and are served in a variety of ways: cold, hot, dry and in soups.  Dashi is fundamental to Japanese flavor and forms the base of most Japanese soups. Itadakimasu!

Soba Noodles, Barbecue Duck, Dashi Broth

Serves 10 people

Ingredients

For the Soba Noodles
2 cups buckwheat flour
1 cup bread flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup cold water
flour for dusting

For the Barbecue Duck
4 duck breasts
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Sherry
2 teaspoons mustard powder

For the Dashi Broth
12 cups water
Kombu (about 2 ounces)
2 cups bonito flakes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Mirin
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 carrot, julienne
1 cup green onions, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

To Garnish
Chiffonade shiso, sesame oil

Instructions

For the Soba Noodles
Combine the dry ingredients on a clean, dry work surface. Make a well in the center and add the beaten egg and the water. Mix together and knead by hand on the table for 12 minutes. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes. Roll out with a pasta machine or by hand. Cut into noodles and boil in salted water until done. Shock in ice bath.

For the Barbecue Duck
Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, vinegar, Sherry, and mustard in a saucepot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes to create a thick glaze.

Score the skin of the duck breasts. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook over a low barbecue flame, skin side down. Brush and baste with the barbecue glaze every few minutes. When skin becomes crispy, check the center for doneness. Grill to desired doneness, rest for 5 minutes and slice into thin slices.

For the Dashi Broth
Place the kombu in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Over medium low heat, simmer for 20 minutes. Remove kombu and add the bonito flakes. Return to heat. Once simmering, remove from heat and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain out the bonito flakes. Add the soy sauce, mirin , snap peas, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots. Simmer over low heat until mushrooms and snap peas are slightly cooked.

To Serve
Place noodles in bowl and top with slices of duck. Cover with the Dashi broth. Finish with drops of sesame oil and shiso leaves.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am and is filed under Main Dishes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.