Yakisoba

Yakisoba              submitted by Moiya Wood

Description:

Use Udon or Shanghi Noodles.

Yakisoba (fried noodles) is standard main or side dish fare at Japanese festivals and on Japanese streets, sold from small booths or carts. It may surprise you that this dish actually originated in China. Yakisoba noodles are not made from buckwheat (soba), but like ramen noodles, are made from wheat flour. However, the dish I made for the cultural night was made with soba or buckwheat noodles.   In general, Yakisoba usually refers to sôsu yakisoba, flavored with the popular Japanese sauce sôsu). Yakisoba consists of stir-fry ramen-style noodles with pork, beef, chicken or tofu with vegetables (usually cabbage, onions or carrots) and flavored with sosu, salt and pepper. Traditionally, the Japanese serve it with garnishes like aonori (seaweed powder), beni shoga (shredded pickled ginger), katsuobushi (fish flakes), and Japanese mayonnaise.

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

Protein of your choice -- pork, beef, chicken, shrimp, squid or tofu

Soy sauce

Rice wine

Sugar or honey

Chinese wheat noodles or Udon

Vegetable or sesame seed oil

Onion

Cabbage (Napa, savoy, Bok Choy)

Carrots

Garlic

Ginger

Snow peas (optional)

Skillet or wok

Cooking utensils

Directions:

1 Prepare the following: 1 lb meat/shrimp/squid/protein/tofu. (Slice meat thinly against the grain) 1/3 cup soy sauce1/3 cup rice wine2 teaspoons sugar or 1 teaspoon honey12 ounces Chinese wheat noodles or, if you prefer a more substantial noodle, try Udon (which actually makes it Yakiudon) 3 tablespoons vegetable or sesame-seed oil1 onion, sliced thin1.5 lb Napa cabbage or savoy cabbage or Bok Choy, sliced very thin 3 carrots, grated1 tablespoon chopped ginger (or more if you like)1 clove crushed garlic (more if you like)3 scallions, thinly sliced Snow Peas (optional)

2 In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar, stirring to dissolve.

3 Put the meat/protein into the pan with some oil and cook for two minutes.

4 Cook noodles in boiling water about eight minutes, or until tender.

5 Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.

6 In a large deep skillet or wok, cook onion in oil for approximately three minutes.

7 Add the cabbage (it will seem like a lot, but it will cook down), carrot and ginger and cook until cabbage is softened, about three to five minutes.

8 Cover with noodles and pour sauce over mixture.

9 Cover and cook for three to five min., then remove the lid and toss the mixture together until it is well combined.

10 Place on a serving platter and garnish with chopped scallions if desired.

Tips & Warnings

In a pinch, you can substitute the cabbage and carrots for a one-pound bag of slaw mix.

Still in a rush? Buy pre-made yakisoba sauce (which is frequently likened to Worcestershire sauce).

For the meat/protein, you can substitute thinly sliced slivers of bacon and Spam (yup, Spam). Yes, it's a little salty, but very Hawaiian and Okinawan.

You can also add shitake mushrooms for added flavor.

You can also add bean sprouts for added flavor.