Udon Noodles in Consomme
Author: 
Recipe type: Entrée
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4 people
 
A big bowl of warm, comforting Udon Noodles in a rich and perfectly clear consommé.
Ingredients
  • 2 carrots, peeled
  • 2 celery ribs
  • 6 scallions
  • 1 leek, bottom portion only
  • 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • ½ pound ground chicken
  • 6 large egg whites*
  • 8 cups good quality chicken stock, homemade is preferred
  • 6 peppercorns
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 (7 ounce) packages of udon noodles
  • 1 small sheet of nori, cut into thin stips
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor - add the carrots, celery, 4 scallions, the leek, ginger, and ground chicken. Pulse until you have a small dice. Transfer the contents to a 5 quart pot.
  2. In a bowl, vigorously whisk the egg whites for 30 seconds, until foamy. Add the egg whites to the pot of veggies and chicken. Using your hands, mix until it forms a paste, then cover with cold chicken stock. Add the peppercorns and a pinch of salt.
  3. Over high heat, stir the mixture constantly until it reaches 120 degrees F. Stop stirring and turn the heat down to medium-low and allow the the 'raft' to form (the raft is the egg whites and meripoix mixture that floats to the top). Do not let it boil. You want a very gentle simmer (if the stock bubbles, it will break the raft). Once the raft has formed, start by making a small hole in the center - check to see if the raft is fairly solid, ie. the egg white has risen to the top. Then carefully make the hole larger using a small ladle (I used a gravy ladle). As you're forming the hole, take the contents from the ladle, and spoon them back over the raft. (It may take a few minutes of ladling to make a clear hole, but be patient, it will happen.) Once you have a well-formed hole, carefully scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to loosen any raft that may be caught down there. Continue to ladle and baste the raft every 5 -10 minutes, for 1 hour.
  4. Once the stock is clear, take a lade (it can be a big one) and press down on the raft to fill the ladle with the clarified stock. Ladle the stock through a fine-meshed sieve or a colander lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Season with salt to taste, if needed.
  5. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the udon according to the package directions.
  6. Add the noodles to the serving bowls and ladle the consommé over top (about ¾ a cup, you want more noodle than broth). Garnish with the remaining sliced scallions (green parts only) and strips of nori. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
* Keep the egg yolks intact - I have a recipe coming up that will make great use of them!
* You can make the consommé ahead of time: 4-5 days in the refrigerator or 4-6 months in the freezer.
Recipe by at https://hapanom.com/udon-noodles-consomme/