Preparation:

Soak the shiitake in 2 cups of very hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Reserving the liquid, remove the soaked shiitake, trim off and discard the stems, and slice the caps into strips.

There should be 1 1/2 cups of shiitake dashi left. Combine this will 3 1/2 cups of konbu dashi (or however much konbu dashi it takes to make a total of 5 cups).

Add the soy sauce, sake, and shiitake. Simmer. Briefly cook each vegetable in the broth as it simmers, one vegetable at a time so that everything is just barely cooked--or, just barely undercooked.

Remove the cooked vegetables from the stock and Set aside for later.

Continue to simmer the broth as you cook the soba in a separate pot. After the soba is cooked and drained, in each of four big bowls place approximately a fourth of the noodles. Then arrange, as prettily as possible, the vegetables.

Pour a generous cup of broth over everything in each bowl. The broth must be very hot so it can reheat the vegetables and egg. Garnish with chopped scallions, and, if desired, hot red pepper flakes to taste.

Variation NOTES: Snow peas, spinach and mung sprouts are also very good in this dish. Snow peas should be briefly cooked with the other vegetables. Add uncooked spinach or sprouts to the serving bowl before pouring the hot broth over everything.

Servings: 4
Source: knswain@umr.edu
Submitted by: Recipe Group Member
Date: Jul 10, 1998

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