On a recent road trip adventure out west to visit my son and his girlfriend, we had the pleasure of experiencing new food flavors through the work of 2 adorable chefs! My first attempt at recreating Yaki Udon, I believe, turned out to be a success! My version of the dish, adapted from the Cookerru blog, included shrimp rather than beef. You could vary the choice of protein as well as the vegetables to create a dish which satisfies you! The sauce’s flavor infused throughout this Japanese dish are amazing!
Sauce:
Blend together the sauce ingredients. These, plus the dark brown sugar, create the most fabulous sweet and savory sauce!
Prep 1: Shrimp
For this recipe, I used a 12 oz bag of small frozen shrimp. Thaw, if needed, by running cool water over them in a colander. Pat them dry with paper towels and place them in a small bowl. Toss with the oil, salt and pepper. Place in the wok/skillet over MEDIUM heat. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes, then remove them to a plate and set aside.
Prep 2: Udon Noodles
It was recommended to use frozen Udon noodles for this recipe. They have a chewy texture and don’t get mushy when cooked with other ingredients. I was able to locate these at our local Asian store along with the dark soy and oyster sauces I needed for this recipe.
Place the 2 packages of frozen Udon noodles, 500 g total, in a pot of HOT water for about a minute or a little more. (Hot tap water worked fine.) Separate noodles with chopsticks or a fork. Rinse, drain in a CLEAN colander and set aside.
Prep 3: Veggies and Mushrooms
Our fabulous Camden Avenue Farmer’s Market had the Baby Bok Choy, carrots, green onions and mushrooms that I needed ! Prepping all of these ingredients, including the garlic and onions, before beginning the stir fry is essential as it all comes together quickly.
Sauté the garlic and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil until translucent and aromatic. Add in the Bok Choy along with the julienned carrots and sliced mushrooms. Continue to sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
The Finale:
Add in the noodles, shrimp and sauce. Toss gently to coat and heat through.
Serve it up!
These sweet, savory and umami-filled flavors will bring a smile of comfort with each bite. Enjoy!
Shrimp Yaki Udon
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 T DARK soy sauce Specific type, not regular soy sauce
- 2 T oyster sauce
- 1 T Mirin
- 1 T dark brown sugar
- 3/4 t Gochujang paste
Prep 1:
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 t sea salt
- 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
- 12 oz fresh/frozen small shrimp- raw, peeled, deveined If frozen, thaw. Pat dry.
Prep 2:
- 2 pkgs (250g each) Frozen Udon noodles
- hot water
Prep 3:
- 1 T extra virgin olive oil
- 1 t minced fresh garlic
- 3/4 c diced yellow onion
- 1 head baby bok choy root end cut off, rinsed, cut into 1" slices
- 1/2 c julienned carrots
- 4 oz Baby Bella (Cremini) mushrooms washed, dried, stems trimmed, then sliced
- 2 green onions washed, cut off root end, thinly slice green and white parts
Instructions
Sauce:
- Blend all sauce ingredients together; set aside.
Prep 1
- Thaw shrimp, if frozen, under cool running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
- In a small bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil, salt and pepper.
- In a wok, or skillet, preheated to MED heat, cook shrimp for about 2 minutes, tossing frequently. Place cooked shrimp on a plate and set aside. Wipe out wok/skillet.
Prep 2:
- Place the 2 packages of frozen udon noodles(500g total) into HOT water for about a minute or so; separate noodles using chopsticks or gently with a fork. Rinse, drain and set aside.
Prep 3:
- Prep all ingredients as indicated above.
- In wok, saute garlic and onion over MED-LOW heat in 1 T olive oil until onions are translucent and aromatic.
- Add in the sliced Baby Bok Choy, carrots and mushrooms and cook, tossing frequently for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in noodles, sauce and shrimp. Toss to coat noodles and heat through. Garnish with sliced green onions
