Nishin Soba

Ingredients

• 2 migaki nishin dried herring fillets, about 200 g
• 500 ml brewed green tea, cooled, for soaking
• 400 ml water, for simmering the herring
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sake
• 20 g fresh ginger, sliced
• 1.2 litres dashi
• 4 tbsp usukuchi light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin, for the broth
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 400 g dried soba noodles
• 4 spring onions, finely sliced
• 1 tsp shichimi togarashi, to serve

Before you cook

• Soak the dried herring in the cooled green tea for at least 8 hours, or overnight, changing the tea once.
• Drain the softened herring and rinse it, then cut each fillet in half crossways.
• Slice the ginger thinly.
• Slice the spring onions and keep them in cold water until needed.

Steps

1. Put the soaked herring in a small saucepan with the 400 ml water and the sliced ginger.
2. Bring it to a simmer and skim off any foam.
3. Add the soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sake.
4. Cut a circle of baking paper the size of the pan, cut a small hole in the centre, and lay it directly on the surface as a drop lid.
5. Simmer very gently for 45 to 50 minutes, until the herring is soft enough to cut with chopsticks and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze.
6. Turn off the heat and leave the herring sitting in its glaze.
7. Pour the dashi into a second pan and bring it to a simmer.
8. Season the dashi with the usukuchi soy sauce, mirin and salt, then taste and adjust.
9. Keep the broth hot but do not let it boil, as that will dull the dashi.
10. Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a rolling boil.
11. Cook the soba for the time on the packet, usually 4 to 5 minutes, keeping the water at a lively boil.
12. Drain the soba and rinse it under cold running water, rubbing the strands with your hands until they squeak.
13. Dip the rinsed soba briefly back into the boiling water for 15 seconds to reheat it, then drain hard.
14. Divide the soba between four warmed bowls.
15. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles.
16. Lay a piece of glazed herring on each bowl and spoon over a little of its cooking glaze.
17. Scatter with spring onions and serve with shichimi togarashi alongside.