Sunday

Wasabi-Udon Noodles with Crispy Chicken


There is no denying it. This is not a pretty dish to look at, but for what it lacks in beauty, the flavored noodles make up for in flavor. It was good, but I would change a few things the next time I make it. The changes are noted below.


Udon are thick Japanese wheat flour noodles; thicker than Ramen or Soba noodles.

I buy them fresh in a hermetically sealed packet (usually found in the refrigerated produce section of the market.) They only take minutes to prepare, as basically they are just reheated in boiling water or stock/broth for 2 to 3 minutes. Many times the noodle packages will contain a broth packet of various flavors, I reserved that for another use because I wanted to try


I'm a longtime fan of Sam's! You may want to look around at his recipe archive on that site, there are some great recipes there.

The recipe involves simply boiling the noodles for the 2 to 3 minutes to heat and soften them.

In the meantime a teaspoon of minced garlic is sauteed in one tablespoon of butter in a medium size skillet. The wasabi paste and stock ingredients are added (a tablespoon and a half each, of Soy Sauce, and Dashi ), then the noodles are tossed to coat in the sauce.

The noodles are plated and topped with corn-starch dipped and fried chicken pieces. Sam uses thighs, I used slices of boneless, skinless breasts. Then finished with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.




I also added some crispy, sliced shallot rings, and a couple of scallion slivers for color.

What I would do differently next time:

I would definitely make this again, however I think I would prefer serving it with some medium-sized grilled shrimp, or grilled salmon, or maybe even some slices of Teriyaki Chicken, as I just didn't think the crispy chicken added much to the dish.

Steamed broccoli, or some carrot, red bell pepper or snow peas would also make a welcome addition. In other words, I thought the dish could use some other ingredients to make it more interesting. :)



The sauce for the Wasabi-Udon Noodles is fabulous though, and I look forward to making this again, with a few changes to the added ingredients. The sauce would also be excellent on spaghetti or angel-hair pasta.




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And for my Dish-Disease partners~

Here's a close-up of my dishes from the photos. They are by the Italian manufacturer, Vietri and the pattern is "Foglia", or leaf. I like this shape because it is slightly concave and holds any extra sauce or dressing, etc. very nicely:




I have a difficult time finding Vietri in my area, so I order through Plum Pudding Kitchen in Aiken, South Carolina.

I've ordered several sets of Vietri dishes through their store/internet site and have been very pleased with their customer service and excellent packing (a concern because I'm a long way from South Carolina!) I recommend them if you cannot locate a Vietri dealer near you.

They carry a full line of Vietri, but they also offer other lines besides Vietri. Here is a link to their main page if you would like to see more:











11 comments:

  1. Mari, this DOES look beautiful! And it's not just the plates, though I love Vietri. I'm so impressed with the wide range of things you've been cooking lately! :)

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  2. Mari, your talents with cooking and photography make any food look beautiful! Those plates are just plain gorgeous as well. I'm off to follow the link now :-)

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  3. fabulous mary, i am back to stalking you, you load fast and hit me smack between the eye with your fab photos! and the dishes are gorgeous, and now you have resources, i will be bankrupt, ok bankrupter, i do a lot of damage all by myslef! hope you had a great day, signed your stalker~

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  4. Mari, Mari, Mari you're killing me! The food looks wonderful to me and I appreciate your notes about using some different ingredients next time.

    But! Those dishes! Oy. I was recently at Southern Seasons where they have a beautiful selection of Vietri. I didn't come home with any, sorry to say. I see your pictures and I don't know if I would have thought of how to use them, if I had even seen them which I didn't. You should get a check in the mail from Vietri from their marketing department

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  5. Thank you for your comments!

    Audrey, I don't know if it's good for our tummies here or not, but I'm usually "all over the map" as far as cuisine. lol!

    Hi Marsha, Jain and Annie!

    Um, I WISH I had looked closer at that link before I posted it. The prices of the Vietri dishes I bought (some months ago), have certainly increased.

    I don't believe they serve up (or show off) food any better than our Ross/Homegoods/TJMaxx finds, at ALL.

    Thank you again for stopping by and commenting! :)

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  6. Oh Mari- I should NOT have looked here tonight (or morning to be technical!) I am soooo hungry and I think this looks wonderful. Better go to sleep and just dream of this dish!
    joan

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  7. Isnt it funny? When the first photo came on screen I thoought..mmmmmm that looks so good!

    Then the recipe and then the dishes!

    Perfectly prettyMary..
    at my DD's for NYE..I asked about someone and was told she was at her home in Aikne:) I had never heard of that town.Someone here has a home there..Doesn't that happen a lot? You never hear of something and then le "bingo"!

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  8. Yes, I think snow peas would be a great addition to this dish! I've seen those noodles but have never given them a try.

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  9. Mari, the Wasabi Udon Noodles look perfectly delicious to me. From the crispy chicken, right down to the plates!

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  10. I keep telling myself not to visit here before dinner! Oh my, that looks wonderful. I love the plates.

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  11. What do you mean it is not pretty! It is beautiful, and I bet delicious...
    And your dishes, wow!

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Thank you for your comments, friends ~ they make my day!

A Sampling of my food . . .

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