If there were a Thai or Japanese restaurant located within 5 miles of our home, I may have delayed experimenting with Udon noodles for a while. But as bored and impatient (or, alternatively, curious and hungry) taste buds frequently determine the course of a day’s cooking for me, dinner took a decidedly different turn from my traditionally rolled semolina noodles. Saveur magazine provided a recipe, and away into stomping noodle land I went. Here’s how it went:
You’ll need: 2/3 cup plus 1 Tbs water; 1Tbs salt; 3 cups udon flour (I used a high-gluten flour instead)
Mix salt in water. Put udon flour into bowl, slowly add water/salt mix and stir until crumbly, and finally forms ball. Wrap in plastic and let rest a half hour. Roll dough out to 1/8 inch thickness. Sprinkle with flour, and fold dough into pleats – gently! About 4 or 5 of them. Cut dough into ribbons, dust with flour again, and cook in boiling water. Add 1 cup cold water after a minute, bring to a boil, then add another cup cold water, bring to a boil. Fresh noodles should cook in 7 to 8 minutes.
NOTES: I didn’t have time to let the dough rest as it was already 8 p.m. As a result, I had a hard time rolling it out, and took to an idea I read about awhile back: walking on the noodles. I placed the dough in between two pieces of plastic wrap and put a plastic matted placemat on either side of this sandwich, then walked gently on it. It approached the level of interaction people must feel with surfing, I suppose. I folded the dough over a couple of times and walked some more, then was able to roll it on the counter to a 1/8 inch thickness.
I highly recommend serving these noodles the first time around in a soup broth. Make sure to cut thin! I cut mine a bit too thick (wide).
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