Page 166 - nyiuw

4. Bring it to a boil and simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it

cool completely. Strain the mentsuyu and set aside. You can keep this soup base in
an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to a month.

To Boil the Soba Noodles

1. Boil a lot of water in a large pot. Unlike pasta, you do not add salt to the cooking

water. Add the dried soba noodles to the boiling water, distributing them around the
pot in a circular pattern to separate the noodles from each other. Cook the soba

noodles according to the package instructions (each brand is slightly different). Stir
the noodles once in a while so they don’t stick to each other. The noodles are done

when they are just tender; do not overcook. Before you drain the noodles, reserve 1

to 1½ cups (for 4 servings) of the cooking water called "sobayu" (read how to use
sobayu in the blog post).

2. Drain the soba noodles in a sieve and rinse them under cold running water to get rid
of the excess starch. This is a very important step to keep the noodles from sticking

to each other.
3. Shake the sieve to drain the water completely. Then, transfer the noodles to a large

bowl of iced water. Chill the noodles for 30 seconds, drain well, and set aside.

To Serve

1. To serve the noodles, place bamboo sieves or mats over individual plates (to catch
the draining water from the noodles). Place one serving of soba noodles on each

mat and garnish with the shredded nori seaweed on top.

2. You will need 90 ml (⅜ cup) of dipping sauce per person, for a total of 360 ml (1½
cups) of dipping sauce for 4 servings. Since the sauce-to-water ratio for dipping

sauce is roughly 1 to 3, combine 1 part (90 ml or ⅜ cup) mentsuyu (concentrated
soup base) and 3 parts (270 ml or 1⅛ cups) iced water in a measuring cup and check

the taste. If it's salty, add more water. If it's too dilute, add more mentsuyu.

3. Put the chopped green onions and wasabi on individual small plates and serve with
the soba noodles and individual cups of dipping sauce.

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