My Recipes Japanese Style Tuna Noodle Salad

This is a simple udon salad that I took from the chef and businessman Bart van Olphen, who elevated the canned tuna to the height of delicacy. Van Olphen Dress up the noodles with what he calls Wafu's sauce, which is roughly translated as Japanese style: sweet salty sauce from soybeans, vegetable oil , mirin and rice vinegar. I add a bit of sweet miso to the texture and flavor, and add to the amount of seaweed in the salad too. Decorate with sesame seeds or furikake, a mixture of Japanese herbs, and you have a superior tuna casserole. Should be served hot cold.

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SALAD:

• ¼ cup cut dried wakame seaweed
• 8 ounces dried udon noodles
• 1 to 2 tablespoons furikake or sesame seeds
• 10 to 12 ounces tuna in oil, drained
• 2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

FOR THE DRESSING:

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sweet miso

Preparation :

1. Simmer the large pot of water, and set the wakame in a small bowl. After boiling water, spoon or simply pour wakame to cover it with 2 inches; Let Wakame soak for 10 minutes. Move the wakame to the sieve to dry and cool; Set aside.
2. While wakame soak, cook noodles according to the package instruction.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: in a glass or measuring bowl, shake to combine sesame oil, canola oil, rice wine vinegar, mirin, soy sauce and miso; Set aside.
4. In a small skillet, bake a little sesame seed, if using, with medium-small heat until fragrant; Set aside.
5. Drain noodles that have been cooked in a sieve, then move to a large, shallow food bowl. Add wakame and about 3/4 of the sauce, and mix well. For noodles between 4 bowls. Add each piece with tuna, drizzle with the remaining sauce, then sprinkle with scallion and furikake or sesame seed. Serve hot, cold, or anywhere in between.