Yakisoba

Ingredients

• 5¼ ozwheat noodles (yakisoba/chuka soba)pre-cooked or boiled per package, then loosened
• 2 tbspSoy saucebase of the stir-fry sauce
• ⅓ ozButtersalted, gives the soy seasoning its buttery note (optional)
• 1 tbspMirinsweetens the sauce
• 1 tbspoilfor frying in pan or wok
• 1bell peppercut into strips or small dice
• 1¾ ozBean sproutsadded only at the end
• 3½ ozCarrotcut into fine julienne
• 7 ozbroccolicut into small florets
• 2¾ ozSnow peastrimmed, cut into strips or pieces
• ⅓ ozGingerpeeled, finely chopped or julienned
• 5¼ ozchicken breastcut into fine strips, seared
• 2Baconsliced, used instead of chicken (optional)
• 5¼ ozTofucoarsely crumbled and marinated, meat-free option (optional)
• 1 tspChicken stock powderfor depth in the sauce or cooking water
• Saltto taste
• Pepperto taste
• 2 tbspTomato ketchupfor a fruity-sweet sauce version (optional)
• 1 tbspSesame seedsdry-roasted, for sprinkling (optional)
• 2 tspSesame oildrizzled before serving (optional)

Method

1. Cut the bell pepper into strips or small dice, the carrot into fine julienne, and break the broccoli into small florets. Trim the snow peas and cut them into pieces. Peel the ginger and chop it finely or cut it into thin strips. Rinse the bean sprouts and set them aside.
2. Cut the chicken breast fillet into fine strips. If you are using bacon or tofu instead, slice the bacon into strips or crumble the tofu coarsely.
3. Cook the noodles in salted water according to the package instructions, drain them and let them dry off well; pre-cooked yakisoba noodles only need loosening with your hands so they don't go into the pan as a single lump.
4. For the seasoning mix, stir together the soy sauce, mirin and chicken stock powder until the powder has dissolved.
5. Heat the oil in a large pan or wok over high heat and sear the chicken (or the tofu or bacon), seasoning with salt and pepper. Add the ginger and fry it briefly along with the meat.
6. Add the carrot, broccoli, bell pepper and snow peas and stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until they still have bite.
7. Add the noodles and the bean sprouts and toss them briefly over the heat, just long enough for the noodles to warm through without breaking up.
8. Pour in the seasoning mix, optionally let 10 g of salted butter melt into it, and stir everything together well. Leave it for 1 to 2 minutes to take on the flavour, then taste and adjust with salt and pepper.
9. Serve hot in bowls, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and drizzled with sesame oil to taste.

Tips and variations

The sauce can go in several directions: fruity and sweet with tomato ketchup, or a mix of soy sauce, ketchup, plum butter and water, served with toasted sesame and pickled ginger. For something punchier, season with hoisin sauce and sambal oelek and stir beaten eggs mixed with soy sauce into the pan at the end so they set in flakes. For a meat-free version, use tofu marinated in yakitori sauce for at least an hour, cook the noodles in chicken stock and add curry powder and paprika to the seasoning. Instead of wheat noodles you can use buckwheat soba with pak choi, soaked wood ear mushrooms and a stock thickened with cornflour, finished with lime juice. It also works without a pan: cook the noodles, vegetables, bacon and the butter-soy seasoning covered in a heatproof bowl in the microwave. Rinsing the cooked noodles under cold water before they go into the pan keeps them from sticking. And if you're in a hurry, fry the vegetables and chicken separately and toss them through instant yakisoba with their teriyaki seasoning sachet. Serve straight away, while the vegetables still have bite.