Soba Noodle Soup with Tempura Topping

Directions

Prepare dashi soup:
Soak 4 dashi sachets in 700ml of boiling water. Add 2tbsp cooking sake and 3tbsp soy sauce.

Prepare soba noodles:
Add soba noodles to boiling water, boil for 4-5 mins and then drain well.

Prepare tempura:
For the prawns, cut the end of the tails, score the underside, flip and press firmly to prevent curling.

For the tempura batter, mix the tempura flour with the ice-cold water in a mixing bowl. Don’t worry if the batter looks lumpy – not overmixing is key to crisp tempura.

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan to 180°C (350°F) over a high heat. To check the oil is ready, drop a little batter into the oil. If it floats to the surface with a gentle sizzle, it’s ready. Reduce the heat to medium to maintain the temperature.

Dust the prawn in tempura flour, dip into batter mix and carefully lower into the hot oil. Deep-fry for 2–3 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking. Transfer to a cooling rack. 

Slice onions and julienne carrots. Add all the vegetables to the bowl of batter and mix to coat. 

Use a slotted spoon to scoop up some vegetables and let the excess batter drain off.

Lower into the hot oil and deep-fry for 2–3 minutes, turning a few times, until crisp. Remove and transfer to the cooling rack. 

Serve:
Serve the noodles in a bowl and add the dashi soup. Top with the tempura and sprinkle with spring onions to garnish.