Kitsune Udon

Instructions

1. Prepare the aburaage
   Cut each aburaage in half and place in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute to remove excess oil. Drain and gently squeeze out excess water. Set aside.
2. Make the sweet marinade
   In a medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of dashi, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons mirin, all the sugar, and 2 tablespoons sake. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
3. Simmer the aburaage
   Add the drained aburaage to the simmering marinade. Cook for about 15 minutes, occasionally turning the pieces, until they absorb the flavors. Remove from heat and keep them in the marinade until ready to use.
4. Prepare the udon broth
   In a large pot, combine the remaining 3 cups of dashi, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon mirin, 1 tablespoon sake, and salt. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low to keep warm while preparing the noodles.
5. Cook the udon noodles
   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the udon noodles according to package instructions, usually 2-3 minutes for fresh or frozen noodles. Drain well.
6. Assemble the kitsune udon
   Divide the cooked udon noodles among four large bowls. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles. Place 2 pieces of the simmered aburaage on top of each bowl of noodles.
7. Add the garnishes
   Sprinkle sliced green onions over each bowl. Offer shichimi togarashi on the side for those who want to add some spice to their udon.