Yakisoba is easy to make at home in a wok. Stir-fry the meat and vegetables with the noodles and then meld them all together with a savory sauce. This noodle dish is also a popular street stall food in Japan.
Ingredients: (Serves 4)
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 300 g (11 oz) beef fillet steak or pork fillet, thinly sliced across the grain
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 teaspoons fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) yakisoba noodles
- 6 slices bacon, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) squares
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 6 spring onions (scallions), cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) lengths
- 1 carrot, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 small green capsicum (pepper), cut into thin strips
- 250 g (9 oz) Chinese cabbage, thinly sliced
- 125 g (4 oz) bamboo shoots, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon pickled ginger, thinly sliced
- Nori flakes or strips, to serve, optional
- Fine katsuobushi (bonito flakes), to serve, optional
For the sauce:
- 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sake
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoons black or dark brown sugar
Method:
Soak the shiitake in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid. Discard stems and thinly slice the caps.
Meanwhile, put beef in a large bowl with half the garlic and half the fresh ginger and mix well. Put the yakisoba noodles in a colander and pour boiling water over them. Drain the noodles and separate them.
To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl with the reserved mushroom liquid and the remaining garlic and ginger.
Heat a wok over medium-high heat, add the bacon and stir-fry for 3 minutes, or until starting to soften and brown. Set aside in a large bowl.
Combine the vegetable and sesame oils in a bowl. Increase the heat to high and add a little of the oil mixture, then stir-fry the beef for 1 minute, or until it starts to change color all over. Add to the bacon. Add a little more oil to the wok, then stir-fry the shiitake, spring onion, carrot, capsicum, cabbage and bamboo shoots for 1-2 minutes, or until the vegetables are just cooked but still crisp. Add to the bowl with the meat. Add the remaining oil to the wok and stir-fry the noodles for 1 minute. Return the meat and vegetables to the wok, add the sauce and pickled ginger and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until heated through.
Serve garnished with non and katsuobushi, if using.
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