Kake Udon with Crispy Vegetable Kakiage

⏱ 45 min · Serves 2

A bowl of silky udon in clean, savoury kombu-katsuobushi broth, crowned with a shatteringly crisp tangle of sweet carrot, onion and spring onion fritter. Simple, soothing, and better than any takeaway.

Per serving: 675 kcal · 18.0g protein · 98.0g carbs · 22.0g fat

Ingredients

• 2 portions fresh or frozen udon noodles (about 400g)
• 1 litre water
• 10g kombu
• 10g katsuobushi (bonito flakes)
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi if you have it)
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp fine salt, to taste
• 1 small carrot, cut into fine matchsticks
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 spring onions, cut into 4cm lengths, plus extra to garnish
• 60g sweetcorn or thinly sliced green beans
• 60g plain flour, plus 1 tbsp for dusting
• 20g cornflour
• 120ml ice-cold sparkling water
• 800ml neutral oil, for frying
• Shichimi togarashi, to serve

Method

1. Soak the kombu in the litre of cold water for 20 minutes, then bring slowly to just below a simmer. Remove the kombu before it boils.
2. Add the katsuobushi, turn off the heat and let it steep 5 minutes, then strain through a fine sieve. Don't press the flakes.
3. Season the dashi with soy sauce, mirin, sugar and salt. Taste — it should be lightly salty and deeply savoury. Keep warm.
4. Toss the carrot, onion, spring onions and sweetcorn with 1 tbsp flour so everything is lightly coated.
5. Heat the oil in a deep pan to 175C. Whisk the 60g flour and cornflour with the ice-cold sparkling water until just combined — lumps are fine, do not overmix.
6. Fold the batter through the vegetables. Working in two batches, slide flat spoonfuls into the oil using a slotted spoon, nudging into loose rounds. Fry 3-4 minutes, flipping once, until pale gold and crisp. Drain on a rack.
7. Cook the udon in plenty of boiling water per packet instructions (1-2 minutes for frozen), drain well and divide between two warmed bowls.
8. Pour over the hot broth, top each with a kakiage fritter, scatter with spring onion and serve with shichimi togarashi. Eat immediately while the fritter is crisp.