Seafood Soba

Earthy buckwheat noodles coated in a reduced, umami seafood sauce. Shrimp are translucent and tender, calamari firm but not rubbery, all brightened by the crunch of flash-seared vegetables.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 15 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 427
• Protein: 28 g
• Carbs: 63 g
• Fat: 6 g

Ingredients

• 300 g soba noodles ( dry )
• 200 g Shrimp ( peeled )
• 150 g Loligo vulgaris ( in rings )
• 1 piece Carrot ( finely julienned )
• 1 piece Leek ( white part only, sliced )
• 1 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 2 piece Spring onion, sauté/poêlé sans matière grasse ( thinly sliced for garnish )
• 150 ml dashi stock
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp Sake or rice alcohol
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil ( for finishing )
• 1 tsp Ginger ground
• 15 g Fresh ginger ( grated or finely minced )

Instructions

1. Cooking the soba

   Plunge the soba noodles into boiling water. They should remain al dente as they will finish absorbing the sauce later. Drain and rinse immediately with cold water to stop the cooking and remove the starch.

2. Searing the seafood

   In a smoking wok with a drizzle of oil, sear the shrimp and squid. As soon as the shrimp become opaque and pink, remove them. They should remain juicy in the center.

3. Sautéing the vegetables

   Add the garlic, fresh ginger, leek, and carrots. Sauté without browning. The goal is to keep a firm texture. Add the ground ginger at the end of sautéing.

4. Reduction and glazing

   Deglaze with sake and mirin to loosen the juices. Pour in the dashi broth and soy sauce. Reduce by half until the sauce coats the spoon. Return the noodles and seafood to the wok so they soak up the juice.

Chef's tips

• The secret lies in rinsing the soba in cold water to remove the gummy starch.
• Do not overcook the calamari, or it will become rubbery. Thirty seconds on high heat is enough.

Storage

Eat immediately. Soba loses its texture and absorbs too much sauce in the refrigerator.