Japanese Pan Noodles

(Picture of the stir fry, minus the sprouts and cilantro)

After visiting the Asian market, I''ve armed my pantry with fermented black beans, rice wine vinegar, and several varieties of soy sauce, and I've embarked on preparing a variety of stir-fry recipes.

Today I'm sharing a copycat recipe of Noodle and Company's Japanese Pan Noodles, which are describe on the menu as "satisfying and hearty, caramelized Japanese udon noodles in a sweet and spicy soy sauce."

I've tried this recipe twice, and I've been quite pleased with the results. It's a quick, tasty summer dish and seems to be similar to the version Noodles and Company serves.

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare this recipe:

• I found the udon noodles at my local Dillon's near the ramen noodles. I you can't find udon noodles, I would simply use linguine.

• If you don't have access to rice wine vinegar, simply substitute apple cider vinegar with a pinch or two or sugar.
• Don't leave out the cilantro! I love the way it rounds out the flavors in this recipe.
• If you want, you can leave out the sprouts. They add some crunch, but overall I'm not too found of sprouts.
• After I chopped my vegetables, I boiled some water and blanched the broccoli and carrots for about two minutes. I then placed them in a colander and rinsed them in cold water. Doing this will give your veggies more color, and gives you a jump start on cooking them before they hit the skillet. You could even blanch the veggies the day before you prepare the stir fry.
  
• I had trouble caramelizing the noodles. I might need experiment more with this.
• I don't know if it's worth it to add the black sesame seeds, unless you're into aesthetics. I'm all about the flavor.
  
• Feel free to substitute and experiment with this recipe.
  

Japanese Pan Noodles

Ingredients:

• 3 cups hot cooked udon noodles (Japanese wheat noodles)
• 12 ounces steak, thinly sliced (optional)
• cornstarch
• salt to taste
• 2-3 drops, toasted sesame oil
• 4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 large cloves minced garlic cloves
• 1 tsp red chili flakes
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 cup Asian sprouts
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup (2-inch) julienne-cut carrot
• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
• 1 cup freshly chopped cilantro leaves
  

METHOD:

1. In a mixing bowl, add the beef strips and mix with a little cornstarch.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Flash fry the beef strips and remove quickly.
3. To the wok, add the carrots, mushrooms, and then broccoli. Stir fry 2-3 minutes and then remove.
4. Add a little oil, the saute the ginger & garlic. After a minute or so, add the well drained noodles and let caramelize.
   
5. Add the red chili flakes. Add the sesame oil, teriyaki sauce and rice wine vinegar. Add all of the other ingredients and toss to coat well. Serve.
   

wax on,
muddywaters