Black Cod and Veggie Tempura with Tenzaru Soba Recipe | Alaska Gold Seafood

This beautiful recipe comes to us from Harrison Weinfeld aka The Sardinfluencer. Just reading his notes on the recipe below makes us hungry!

"I first tasted tenzaru soba on a trip to Kyoto nearly ten years ago at the famous Honke Owariya, which has been serving these traditional springy buckwheat noodles since 1465. It was a hot day, and I wanted something to cool me down—but I also wanted tempura. Lo and behold, this ancient shop had a dish that encompassed it all: tenzaru soba.

I spent the next 30 minutes dipping alternating bites of chilled soba noodles and hot, crispy tempura into the cold, umami-rich tsuyu sauce. I was amazed by the simple balance of heat and texture, and I’ve been making it at home ever since. Today, I’ve swapped the traditional shrimp for Alaska Gold’s black cod, which I find even more delicious than the original!"

INGREDIENTS

·         1 piece black cod (thawed under refrigeration)

·         4 green beans

·         4 bite-size broccoli crowns

·         1 small carrot (cut into 2 batons)

·         Tempura mix (I used Kikkoman)

·         2-3 cups neutral oil (for frying)

·         Instant dashi packet (I used Grelim)

·         1 tbsp soy sauce

·         1 tbsp white sugar

·         ½ tbsp rice wine vinegar

·         2 bundles soba noodles

·         1 green onion (green part only, sliced thin on the bias)

·         Kosher salt, to taste

·         Nori strips, for garnish

METHOD

1. Bring ¾ cup of water to a boil in a small pot. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add your dashi packet, and steep for a few minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the steeping bag (if using that type of dashi), and transfer the dashi to a small measuring cup. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and rice wine vinegar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
2. Add ice cubes until the liquid reaches the 1¼-cup mark and stir until the ice melts and the tsuyu is cold. Place in the freezer to chill further while you continue cooking. If you don’t have ice, you can use cold water for this step.
3. Pat the cod fillet dry and season lightly with kosher salt. Cut lengthwise with the grain into ½-inch-wide pieces. Carefully slice just barely through the skin, across the grain, at 1-inch intervals on each piece (being cautious not to cut into the meat) to prevent curling while frying.
4. Boil the soba noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked, strain under cold water, then leave them in the strainer with a few ice cubes on top until ready to serve.
5. Prepare the tempura batter according to package directions (I like mine on the thicker side), using ice water. Keep the batter bowl in an ice bath to stay extra cold during frying.
6. Heat your oil in a pan deep enough to hold about 2 inches of oil. While it heats, pat dry all vegetables and fish. Once the oil reaches 350°F, dip the beans and carrots one by one in the batter, let some excess drip off, and gently drop them into the oil. Move them around slightly so they don’t stick together. Fry for about 3–4 minutes, or until the veggies begin to take on some color. Remove to paper towels. Skim off floating bits of tempura batter. Adjust heat as needed to maintain temperature. Repeat with the broccoli. Finally, fry the fish—working in two batches if necessary to avoid crowding—until the thickest pieces reach about 120°F on an instant-read thermometer.
7. While the fish and vegetables rest on paper towels, divide the soba into neat piles on two plates and top with nori strips. Pour the chilled tsuyu into small bowls and top with sliced green onion. Arrange the vegetables and fish alongside the noodles or in a separate bowl.

Serve immediately.

Serves 2