Sansai soba

Method

1. 1 Boil fresh bamboo shoots with the lid open for 20 minutes, then rinse with cold water to remove the bitterness.
2. 2 Soak the shiitake mushrooms for 25 minutes, then reserve the filtered soaking liquid to use for making broth.
3. 3 Cook kombu in water to make a broth, then season with soy sauce and mirin.
4. 4 Simmer the bamboo shoots, burdock root, and mushrooms separately in a portion of broth for 15 minutes to allow the vegetables to absorb the flavors.
5. 5 Simmering the vegetables separately keeps the broth clear; simmering them together results in a cloudy broth with an earthy taste.
6. 6 Boil the soba noodles for 4 minutes, then rinse with cold water, blanch again in hot water, and pour in the broth along with the braised vegetables.

With an appliance

• Microwave 34 min

  Replace step 4: Add the de-bittered bamboo shoots, burdock root, mushrooms, and some of the broth to a partially covered bowl and microwave at 800W for 9 minutes; reduce by about 6 minutes, the vegetables will be evenly tender and you won't need to stir, so the main broth will remain clear. Step 1 still involves boiling the bamboo shoots with the lid open for 20 minutes because a closed microwave doesn't help remove the bitterness.