Zaru Soba (Cold Soba Noodles)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sake
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin, plus 1 tbsp to taste
• 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), 1x1 inch
• 1/2 to 1 cup katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), packed
• 14 oz dried soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
• 6 tbsp mentsuyu (concentrated noodle soup base)
• 1 1/8 cups iced water
• 2 green onions, chopped
• Shredded nori seaweed (kizami nori) for garnish
• Wasabi, optional

Instructions

1. To make homemade mentsuyu, add sake to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Let the alcohol evaporate for a few seconds.
2. Add soy sauce and mirin to the saucepan. Add an extra 1 tbsp mirin if desired.
3. Add the kombu and katsuobushi. Use the maximum amount of katsuobushi for a more intense bonito flavor.
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it steep until completely cooled. Strain the mentsuyu and set aside.
5. To cook the soba noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Do not add salt to the water. Add the dried soba noodles, distributing them in a circular pattern to separate them. Cook according to package instructions, stirring occasionally. Reserve 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the cooking water (sobayu) before draining.
6. Drain the soba in a sieve and rinse under cold running water, using your hands to remove excess starch.
7. Shake the sieve to drain completely, then transfer noodles to a large bowl of iced water. Chill for 30 seconds, drain well, and set aside.
8. Place bamboo sieves or mats over individual plates. Arrange one serving of soba noodles on each mat and garnish with shredded nori.
9. Prepare the dipping sauce by combining mentsuyu and iced water in a 1-to-3 ratio. Adjust to taste, adding more water if too salty or more mentsuyu if too dilute. Divide into individual cups.
10. Serve with chopped green onions and wasabi on small plates alongside the noodles and dipping sauce.
11. When finished eating the noodles, pour the reserved sobayu into your dipping cup and enjoy as a soup broth.