Recipe
"Salty Kelp & Meat Miso Mazesomen" - A Stamina Dish Topped with Rich Homemade Meat Miso!
Ingredients
- Somennoodles 2 bundles
- Groundpork 200g
- Soysauce 1 tbsp
- Mirin2 tbsp
- Sake1 tbsp
- Mixedmiso (Awase miso) 1 tsp
- Garlic2 cloves
- Saltedkelp (Shio kombu) 2 pinches
- Sesameoil 2 tbsp
- Egg(yolk) 1
- Greenonions to taste
About "Salty Kelp and Meat Miso Mazesomen"
This stamina-boosting mixed somen noodle dish, created by Chef Todaka of the popular Gotanda restaurant "Shokudo Todaka," combines salted kelp (shio kombu) with savory homemade meat miso. By seasoning the somen noodles with salted kelp and sesame oil first, the noodles absorb deep umami and richness. They are then generously topped with a meat miso made from ground pork, garlic, and mixed miso, and finished with a rich egg yolk. The recipe also features a clever hack for boiling somen in a frying pan to prevent boiling over while using less water. The meat miso can be made in bulk and stored in the fridge—it's also delicious served over hot rice!
Introduction to 動画 de 食堂とだか 料理人・戸高雄平 →
Tips for Making "Salty Kelp and Meat Miso Mazesomen"
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Prep
- Mince the garlic. Separate the egg yolk from the white, as only the yolk is used.
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Cookware
- Boiling somen in a frying pan prevents boiling over due to its flat shape changing heat convection. It requires less water, boils faster, and eliminates the need to add cold water.
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Heat control
- Simmer the meat miso until the liquid is completely gone to concentrate the umami.
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Seasoning
- Adding mixed miso to the meat miso creates a deep Japanese flavor. While you can add doubanjiang or gochujang for a spicy Chinese twist, a Japanese flavor profile is best to complement the delicate somen.
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Finishing
- Wash the boiled somen thoroughly in cold water to remove starch, shock in ice water, and drain completely to prevent diluting the seasonings.
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Pre-seasoning
- Tossing the drained somen with salted kelp and sesame oil prevents the noodles from sticking while infusing them with rich umami.
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Meal prep
- The meat miso can be made in bulk and stored in the fridge. It is delicious not only on somen but also over hot rice.
Ingredients for "Salty Kelp and Meat Miso Mazesomen"
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How to Make "Salty Kelp and Meat Miso Mazesomen"
- 1
Heat a frying pan, add sesame oil, and sauté 2 minced cloves of garlic.
- 2
Once the garlic becomes fragrant, add 200g of ground pork and sauté over medium heat.
- 3
Once the pork is no longer pink, add 1 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp mixed miso, then simmer until the liquid is completely evaporated.
- 4
Once simmered down, transfer the meat miso to a tray or plate to cool.
- 5
Bring water to a boil in a frying pan, add 2 bundles of somen noodles, and boil for about 1 minute. (Using a frying pan prevents boiling over and eliminates the need to add cold water.)
- 6
Drain the boiled somen in a colander, wash thoroughly under cold running water to remove starch, chill in ice water, and drain well.
- 7
Transfer the drained somen to a bowl, add 2 pinches of salted kelp and 2 tbsp of sesame oil, and toss well with chopsticks, lifting the noodles to distribute the flavor and aroma evenly.
- 8
Mound the seasoned somen noodles in a bowl, and generously top with the meat miso until the noodles are completely covered.
- 9
Make a small well in the center, place the egg yolk on top, and scatter green onions around it. To eat, break the yolk and mix everything thoroughly.
Detailed Commentary on "Salty Kelp and Meat Miso Mazesomen"
* Content organized by topics from the video.
TV Show Behind-the-Scenes & Recipe Origin
Chef Todaka begins by sharing his ideas for somen recipes to beat the summer heat—his goal is to create 1,800 variations! He reveals a funny story about a recent TV cooking battle where he struggled with 'fried chicken.' In an attempt to add texture to frozen fried chicken, he wrapped boiled somen around it and deep-fried it again, which was unfortunately a total flop with the judges. However, his highest-rated dish was a somen seasoned with salmon roe, salted kelp, and sesame oil. Today's recipe, 'Salty Kelp and Meat Miso Mazesomen,' is based on that highly praised kelp somen, adapted for easy home cooking. Although he lost the TV battle, the valuable lessons learned inspired this ultimate stamina-boosting dish.
Ingredients for Mazesoba-Style Somen
Here are the ingredients for this 'Salty Kelp and Meat Miso Mazesomen' (serves 2). The main star is 2 bundles of somen noodles. For the rich meat miso topping, you'll need 200g of ground pork. The seasonings include 1 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp sake, and 1 tsp mixed miso. For the flavor base, prepare 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp of sesame oil, and 2 pinches of salted kelp—a personal favorite of Chef Todaka. Finally, get 1 egg yolk for the center and some green onions to taste for a pop of color. You can reduce the ground pork to 100g if you prefer, but making a larger batch to store in the fridge as a versatile meal prep option is highly recommended.
How to Make Rich Homemade Meat Miso
First, let's make the special meat miso topping. Heat sesame oil in a frying pan and sauté 2 minced cloves of garlic. Once fragrant, add 200g of ground pork. Sauté over medium heat, and once the meat is no longer pink, add the seasonings: 1 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp mirin, 1 tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp mixed miso. Adding miso instantly gives it a deep, Japanese-style flavor. The key here is to simmer it down until the liquid is completely gone. While you can add chili bean paste (doubanjiang) or gochujang for a spicy Chinese-style twist, this Japanese-style seasoning is the best match to complement the delicate flavor of somen.
The Frying Pan Somen Boiling Hack
When boiling somen, Chef Todaka uses a frying pan instead of a large pot. This is an eye-opening hack he learned from somen expert Mr. Hisaka during the TV show. Boiling somen in a frying pan changes the heat convection due to its flat shape, which miraculously prevents boiling over. This means you don't need to add cold water midway, you use less water, and it boils much faster. Boil 2 bundles of somen in boiling water for about 1 minute. Once cooked, drain immediately, wash thoroughly under cold running water to remove starch, and shock in ice water. Draining the water completely is crucial to prevent diluting the seasonings later.
Seasoning the Noodles with Kelp & Sesame Oil
Transfer the well-drained somen to a bowl to apply the key seasoning of this recipe. Add 2 pinches of Chef Todaka's selected salted kelp and drizzle 2 tbsp of sesame oil. Toss the noodles with chopsticks, lifting them up to thoroughly coat them with the umami of the kelp and the aroma of the sesame oil. This also prevents the noodles from sticking together. Chef Todaka takes a bite here and exclaims, 'This is incredibly delicious on its own!' The perfect balance of salty kelp and rich sesame oil makes this so good that it could easily stand alone as a complete dish on days when you don't feel like cooking.
Generous Plating & Mind-Blowing Flavor
Now for the final plating. Mound the seasoned somen in a bowl and generously spoon the homemade meat miso over it until the noodles are completely hidden. Make a small well in the center, gently place the egg yolk, and scatter green onions around it to complete this stamina-packed 'Mazesomen,' reminiscent of Taiwan Mazesoba. For the taste test, break the yolk and mix the meat miso and somen together. 'Wow, it's so delicious I almost fainted for a second!' says Chef Todaka with excitement. While summer somen is usually light, the punchy flavor of the meat miso paired with the salted kelp is outstanding and absolutely addictive. Beat the summer heat with this stamina-boosting dish!
About 動画 de 食堂とだか 料理人・戸高雄平
動画 de 食堂とだか 料理人・戸高雄平
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