Tempura Soba

Name: Tempura Soba
Yield: serves 4
Ingredients: 1 quart vegetable oil, or enough to fill a pot or deep fryer 3 inches deep; 5 cups Hot Soba Broth (page 41); 1 egg; 1 1/4 cups cold water; 2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting; 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on; 8 small shiitake mushrooms, stemmed; 4 asparagus stalks, ends trimmed, cut into thirds; 14 ounces dried soba noodles; 2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle

December 9, 2011

Tempura soba is a delicious and satisfying lunchtime favorite in Japan, served both at home and in restaurants across the country. Tempura has a long history in the country. The cooking method was introduced by the Portuguese in the sixteenth century and has been refined into a uniquely Japanese food ever since. Make sure you eat this dish quickly, while the soba is still steaming and the tempura is hot and crispy. The way we enjoy this dish in Japan is to dip the tempura into the soba broth as we eat it. This serves two purposes: First, the broth flavors the tempura, acting as a dipping sauce. And second, the tempura returns the favor, adding richness to the broth while its crumbs add texture. So we have both foods working together to create an irresistible whole!

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