Grilled Salmon Udon with Chilled Dashi

Ingredients

• 400 g Skinless, Boneless Salmon (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 1 tsp Avocado Oil
• 1 Cucumber (finely sliced on a mandolin)
• 1 tsp Salt (for drawing moisture from cucumbers)
• 2 Spring Onions (finely sliced)
• 400 g Frozen Udon Noodles
• 3 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Mirin
• 1 tbsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp Shiro Dashi (or 1 tsp dashi powder)
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil
• 6 Ice Cubes (for chilling the sauce)

Steps

1. 1

   Finely slice the cucumbers on a mandolin and place them in a bowl with a teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside in the fridge for 10 minutes.

2. 2

   After 10 minutes, remove the cucumbers from the fridge and squeeze out all the excess moisture, reserving the liquid. Finely slice the spring onions.

3. 3

   To make the sauce, add the soy sauce, mirin, sugar, shiro dashi, and sesame oil to a small pan over low heat.

4. 4

   Gently warm the sauce through until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice cubes to chill.

5. 5

   Once the sauce is cold, pour in the reserved cucumber water. Add the liquid a little at a time, tasting as you go, as it can be quite salty.

6. 6

   Cut the salmon into 1-inch cubes.

7. 7

   Bring a pan of salted water to a boil. Add the frozen udon noodles and cook until al dente.

8. 8

   Drain the noodles and rinse immediately under cold water. Add extra ice to the water if available to ensure they are thoroughly chilled.

9. 9

   Set a large, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, spray with avocado oil.

10. 10

    Cook the salmon cubes for 90 seconds on each side until golden on the outside and blushing (medium-rare) in the center.

11. 11

    Remove the salmon from the pan and let it rest for a couple of minutes.

12. 12

    To plate, place the chilled noodles in the bottom of a bowl. Top with the rested salmon, salted cucumbers, and sliced spring onions.

13. 13

    Pour the chilled dashi broth over the noodles and serve immediately.

Notes

The author notes that this recipe contains 54g protein, 772 kcal, 31g fat, and 75g carbs per serving. Be careful when adding the cucumber water to the dashi as it is very salty.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• high-protein
• low-calorie
• seafood
• noodles
• japanese-inspired
• healthy
• quick-meal