Kake soba

Method

1. 1 Soak kombu in 900 ml of cold water for 30 minutes, then simmer until boiling and remove the kombu.
2. 2 Add the dried flounder, then immediately turn off the heat and let it soak for 3 minutes, then drain it through a cloth.
3. 3 Season the broth with soy sauce and mirin to make it slightly richer than udon broth; soba has its own distinct flavor that needs to be balanced.
4. 4 Boil soba noodles for 4 minutes, then rinse with cold water and squeeze out the excess flour.
5. 5 Rinse the noodles with hot water to make them hot and remove any remaining flour.
6. 6 Pour hot broth over the noodles, then sprinkle with chopped scallions and shredded seaweed, and eat immediately while the noodles are still slightly soggy.

With an appliance

• Microwave 27 min

  Replace the boiling step in step 1: after soaking the kombu, heat the broth at 700 W for 6 minutes and remove the kombu when the water just begins to simmer; allow about 3 minutes for heating and do not monitor the pot for excessive boiling. Steps 2 and 4 still involve soaking the dried flounder and boiling the soba separately to keep the broth clear.