Toshikoshi Soba with Mushroom & Shishito Tempura

Preparation

In Japan, the tradition of eating soba noodles on New Year's Eve is known as toshikoshi soba. Passed down since the Edo period (the 1600s), this custom symbolizes cutting off bad luck from the past year. Because New Year’s Day is one of Japan’s biggest holidays and people often are busy with preparations, a simple soba is also a practical choice the night before the celebrations begin.

Since December is typically very cold, toshikoshi soba is usually served warm with a broth made from dashi, which is traditionally prepared with dried bonito (katsuobushi) and kombu. However, I used dried shiitake mushrooms, which provide a rich umami flavor and pair wonderfully with tempura mushrooms, for this vegetarian version.

*This recipe originally ran in Japan on HexClad.jp.

1. Make the broth Put dried mushrooms in a large bowl with the water. Chill, covered, 12 to 24 hours. (An overnight soak in the refrigerator yields a more flavorful broth.) Strain through a fine-meshed sieve, discarding the mushrooms and reserving the liquid (dashi).

2. In a HexClad 5QT/5 L Hybrid Dutch Oven, combine the dashi, mirin, sake and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.

3. Make the tempura batter In a small bowl, sift together 1 cup flour and the potato starch and stir in the salt. In a large bowl, whisk together egg and ice-cold water. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and mix gently with chopsticks. (Do not overmix—small clumps are fine.) Refrigerate until ready to fry. 

4. Fry the tempura In a HexClad 3.3QT/3 L Hybrid Deep Sauté Pan, heat oil to 350°F/175°C. Tear maitake mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Transfer to a plastic container with a lid. Add peppers and remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Shake to coat evenly. 

5. Working in small batches so as not to crowd the pan, dip maitake mushrooms and shishitos into batter, then drop into the hot oil and fry until golden, 30 to 60 seconds per side. Transfer to a wire rack with a mesh skimmer or spider and immediately sprinkle with salt.

6. Boil the noodles In a HexClad 8QT/7.5 L Hybrid Stockpot of boiling water, cook the noodles according to package instructions and drain.

7. Divide noodles and broth among 4 large bowls. Top with mushroom and pepper tempura and, if using, kamaboko. Sprinkle with daikon, onion, and shichimi togarashi.