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Traditionally these individual
casseroles are cooked in earthenware pots. Nabe means pot and
yaki mean heat, providing the Japanese title of Nabeyaki
Udon for this recipe.
Ingredients
- dried udon noodle - 300g/11 oz,
or fresh udon noodle - 500g/1¼ lb
- sake or dry white wine - 2.5ml/½
tsp
- shiitake mushrooms - 4, stems
removed
- eggs - 4, size 4
- boneless chicken thigh - 115g/4
oz
- whole spinach - 115g/4 oz,
trimmed
- leek - 1
- salt - 2.5ml/½ tsp
- soy sauce - 2.5ml/½ tsp
- seven flavor spice (shichimi) -
to serve (optional)
For the soup
- kombu and bonito stock or
instant dashi - 1.4 liters/2 ⁄pints/ 6 cups
- mirin - 15ml/1 tbsp
- soy sauce - 22.5ml/4½ tsp
- salt - 7ml/1⁄ tsp
Method
- Cut the chicken into small
chucks and sprinkle with salt, sake and soy sauce. Cut the leek
diagonally into 4.5cm/1¾ in slices.
- Boil the spinach for 1-2
minutes, drain and soak in cold water for 1 minutes. Drain and
squeeze lightly then cut into 4cm/1½ in length.
- Boil the udon according to the
packet instruction, allowing 3 minutes less than the suggested
cooking time.
- If using fresh udon, put them
into boiling water, disentangle the noodle well, drain them.
- Bring the ingredients for the
soup to the boil in a saucepan and add the chicken and leek. Skim
the broth, then cook for 5 minutes.
- Divide the udon noodle between
four individual flameproof casseroles.
- Pour the soup, leek and chicken
into the casseroles. Place over a moderate heat and add the
shiitake mushrooms.
- Gently break an egg into each
casseroles. Divide the spinach between the casseroles and simmer
for 1 minutes.
- Serve immediately, standing the
hot casseroles on table mats. Sprinkle seven flavor spice over the
casseroles. Serves 4.
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