Miso Butter Udon with Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh or frozen udon noodles
• 200 g shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 50 g butter
• 2 tbsp white miso paste
• 4 tsp soy sauce
• 4 tsp mirin
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• furikake, to finish

Method

1. Boil the noodles

   Cook the udon in plenty of water, then drain but keep a mugful of the cooking water. That starchy water is what will bring the sauce together.

2. Brown the mushrooms

   Fry the shiitake in half the butter over a high heat until they have released their water and started browning, then add the garlic for 30 seconds.

   7 min

3. Loosen the miso

   Take the pan off the heat and whisk the miso with the soy, mirin and a splash of the noodle water before it goes in. Miso dropped into a hot pan seizes into lumps and scorches — it does not like direct heat.

4. Emulsify

   Add the noodles, the miso mixture and the rest of the butter, and toss over a low heat, adding noodle water until the sauce turns glossy and clings. This is the same trick as an Italian pasta sauce and it works for the same reason.

   2 min

5. Serve

   Top with spring onions and furikake and eat straight away, while the sauce is still emulsified.