Curry Udon

Method12 steps · about 20 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Cut all 250 g skin-on chicken thighs into bite-size pieces and season on all sides with the separate ¼ teaspoon chicken salt.

   Uses 250 grams boneless skin-on chicken thighs · ¼ teaspoon salt for chicken

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Set a large pot of separate noodle-cooking water over high heat and bring it to a boil for the selected 240 g fresh udon.

   Uses Water for boiling and rinsing the fresh udon, drained

3. 3

   Step 3: Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add all 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the seasoned chicken skin-side down. Fry undisturbed for about 2–3 minutes, until the skin side browns; the chicken will finish cooking later.

   Brown chicken 2–3 min · 3 minUses 1 tablespoon vegetable oil · Salted bite-size skin-on chicken pieces

   
4. 4

   Step 4: While the chicken browns, grate the separate 100 g paste onion, 60 g carrot, 10 g garlic and 10 g ginger. Mix these with all ⅛ teaspoon baking soda. Slice the separate 100 g soup onion and keep it for step 9.

   Uses 100 g onion (about ½ medium onion), grated · 60 g carrot (about ½ carrot), grated · 10 g garlic (about 2 medium cloves), grated · 10 g ginger, grated · 1/8 teaspoon baking soda · 100 g onion (about ½ medium onion), sliced

   
5. 5

   Step 5: Transfer all the skin-side-browned chicken to a bowl, leaving as much frying oil and rendered fat in the pan as possible. The chicken can still be partly raw at this stage; keep it for the simmer.

   Uses Skin-side-browned chicken and frying fat

6. 6

   Step 6: Carefully add all the grated vegetable-and-baking-soda mixture to the retained chicken frying fat; it may spatter. Sauté for about 3 minutes, until it forms a caramelized paste.

   Caramelize paste about 3 min · 3 minUses Grated onion, carrot, garlic, ginger and baking soda · Retained chicken frying oil and rendered fat

   
7. 7

   Step 7: Boil all 240 g fresh udon in the prepared boiling water only until partly cooked, aiming for 3 minutes less than its package time. If the package time is very short, give it only a brief blanch before finishing it in the curry. Watch the pot so it does not boil over.

   Uses 240 g fresh uncooked udon · Boiling noodle-cooking water

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Stir all 2 tablespoons Japanese curry powder into the caramelized vegetable paste. Continue sautéing for about 30 seconds, until uniformly colored and very fragrant.

   Toast curry about 30 sec · 1 minUses Caramelized curry vegetable paste · 2 tablespoons Japanese curry powder (such as S&B brand)

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Add all 2½ cups dashi, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons chuno sauce and the separate ¼ teaspoon soup salt to the curry paste. Return all the reserved browned chicken and add the prepared 100 g sliced soup onion. Simmer for about 5 minutes while the noodles are being prepared, then continue as needed until the onions are soft; the chicken must finish cooking in the following stage.

   Initial curry simmer 5 min · 5 minUses Fragrant curry powder and vegetable paste · 2½ cups prepared dashi stock · 2 tablespoons mirin · 1 tablespoon soy sauce · 2 teaspoons chuno sauce · ¼ teaspoon salt for soup · Reserved skin-side-browned chicken pieces · Prepared sliced soup onion

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Drain the partly cooked udon and rinse away surface starch with cold water, then drain again. Add all the udon to the curry broth and simmer until the noodles are tender and the chicken is fully cooked to 74°C in the thickest pieces.

    Uses Partly cooked fresh udon · Chicken and sliced onion in curry broth

    
11. 11

    Step 11: Turn the heat down to low. Put all ¼ cup sour cream in a small bowl and whisk in small ladles of hot broth taken from the curry pan until the cream is warm. Return the entire tempered mixture to the same curry-udon pan and gently stir to combine.

    Uses Cooked chicken curry udon and its hot broth · 1/4 cup sour cream

    
12. 12

    Step 12: Divide all the curry udon, chicken and creamy broth between two bowls. Garnish with chopped scallions to taste and serve immediately.

    Uses Finished creamy chicken curry udon · Chopped scallions, to garnish