Udon noodles with peanuts and vegetables

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 400 g udon noodles, fresh
• 400 g carrot(s)
• 250 g mushrooms
• 2 bunch spring onions
• 2 chilies
• 100 g peanuts, roasted and salted
• 1 piece(s) ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 75 ml mirin
• 150 ml sake
• 200 ml beef broth or vegetable broth
• 50 ml soy sauce, preferably Japanese
• n. B. Five-spice powder
• n. B. Honey
• n. B. Pfeffer
• n. B. Sauce thickener

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 20 minutes; Total time approx. 50 minutes

Peel and finely chop the ginger and garlic. Slice the chili into thin rings. Peel the carrots and slice them into thin strips or rings. Clean the mushrooms, remove the stems, and quarter them. Clean the spring onions and slice them into rings. Briefly fry the ginger and garlic in a little oil, then deglaze with beef or vegetable stock, sake, soy sauce, and mirin. The liquid quantities are only approximate. Depending on your taste and sauce requirements, the amount and composition may vary, so you may not want to add the entire specified amount of liquid to the pot at first, but add more gradually if necessary. Add the carrots and chilies and simmer for five minutes, then add the mushrooms and spring onions and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. Season to taste with the five-spice powder and, if desired, honey and pepper. Thicken with a sauce thickener if necessary, depending on how much sauce you’ve made and how thick you want it. Finally, stir in the udon noodles and let them sit for about 2-5 minutes to warm up and absorb the flavor. Sprinkle with the roasted peanuts before serving. Note: The vegetables can be varied as desired. Broccoli and bell peppers would probably also go well with this dish. Instead of sake and mirin, you could probably use sherry and white port, although I haven’t tried that yet.