Miso French Onion Udon

Method

1. Halve the onions and slice them 3 mm thick along the grain; thinly slice the garlic. Slice the scallions too.

   Add in this stepOnions 400 gGarlic cloves 2

2. Melt the butter in a 20 cm pot over medium heat, add the onions and salt and cook for 25 min. Stir every 3–4 minutes, and if the bottom starts to stick, add 1 tbsp water and scrape. When the onions are soft and amber, add the garlic for the last minute.

   Add in this stepButter 20 gSalt 1 pinch

   medium heat

3. Pour in the sake and mirin and let them bubble over medium heat for 1 min, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. It's done when the alcohol smell has gone.

   Add in this stepCooking sake 2 tbspMirin 2 tbsp

   medium heat

4. Add the dashi and chicken stock, bring to a boil over high heat for 4 min, then lower to low heat and simmer for 10 min so the onion flavor goes into the broth.

   Add in this stepDashi (bonito stock) 550 mlChicken stock 200 ml

   high heat→low heat

5. Meanwhile, bring plenty of water to a boil in a separate 20 cm pot and cook the frozen udon over high heat for 1 min, loosening the noodles. Drain and divide between bowls.

   Add in this stepFrozen udon portions (about 200 g each) 2

   high heat

6. Turn the soup down to low heat. Put the miso in a ladle with a little broth, dissolve it with chopsticks and stir it back into the pot. Season with soy sauce. Once the miso is in, don't let it boil, or its aroma fades.

   Add in this stepWhite miso (shiro miso) 2 tbspSoy sauce 2 tsp

   low heat

7. Pour the onions and plenty of broth over the udon, then immediately lay the cheese on top so it melts in the heat. Sprinkle with scallions and shichimi and eat piping hot.

   Add in this stepGruyère or Emmental, grated (or cheese slices) 50 gScallions, thinly sliced 10 gShichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice) to taste