SERVES: 4 to 6
TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS The spicy flavor of mustard greens lends itself to Asian flavor combinations, and since noodles and greens are a common pairing in Asia, we decided to create a recipe that married the pungent bite of mustard greens with earthy, chewy udon noodles. We made a quick but highly aromatic and boldly flavorful broth using both fresh and dried shiitake mushrooms, along with mirin, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, fresh ginger, and chili-garlic sauce. Letting this mixture reduce resulted in a brothy sauce perfect for pairing with the cooked noodles and greens. Because fresh noodles cook so quickly, we made sure to add the greens to the pot before the noodles. Do not substitute other types of noodles for the udon noodles here.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
- ¼ cup mirin
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled, halved, and smashed
- ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, rinsed and minced
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon Asian chili-garlic sauce
- 1 pound mustard greens, stemmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound fresh udon noodles
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat vegetable oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in 2 cups water, mirin, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, dried mushrooms, sesame oil, and chili-garlic sauce. Bring to simmer and cook until liquid has reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Off heat, discard garlic and ginger. Cover pot to keep warm; set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add mustard greens and 1 tablespoon salt and cook until almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add noodles and cook until greens and noodles are both tender, about 2 minutes. Reserve ⅓ cup cooking water, drain noodles and greens, and return them to pot.
- Add sauce and reserved cooking water, and toss to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, tossing constantly, until sauce clings to noodles, about 1 minute.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
