Chewy Noodles with citrus and ginger

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Noodles:

250g bakers flour

2 eggs

1 tsp BAKED baking soda*

1 Tbls. water

1 tsp. salt

* Sprinkle two tablespoons of baking soda on a baking paper lined tray and bake in a 100C degree oven for one hour. This converts the baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) into sodium carbonate which allows gluten bonds to strengthen giving you more chew without leavening. This step is optional and could be omitted completely but could also be replaced with one teaspoon of lye water which you might find at asian grocery stores as it is traditional in the making of ramen noodles. This recipe only calls for one teaspoon so save the rest for future noodle making. I say its optional because the noodles will still be delicious and chewy without it but it does make it that little bit more chewy, which I like.

Soup:

750ml chicken stock or dashi (could be a bit more or less depending on how soupy you want this)

Soy sauce

Rice wine vinegar or yuzu vinegar

Salsa:

4-5 slices Meyer lemon (or 2-3 slices eureka lemon)

2 Tbls. vegetable oil or other neutral oil + a bit more for frying lemons

2 spring onions sliced thinly

1.5 tsp. microplaned peeled ginger

15g chopped fresh parsley or fresh coriander

Sesame seeds for garnishing

Method:

To make the noodles:

First make your dough. Mix your BAKED baking soda with 1 tablespoon of water and stir to dissolve and then mix with the two cracked eggs. Mix your flour and salt in a bowl and then add in the egg mixture. Mix with your hands and then dump it out onto your bench and knead it together. IT WILL BE VERY DRY. You can add an additional teaspoon or two of water if it is very crumbly but not much more. Get it to come together as best you can by kneading for approximately 3-4 minutes and then cover with a damp tea towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, knead it again for another 2-3 minutes and you will see it comes together better although it will still feel more dense than pasta dough. Rest, covered, a further 30 minutes and then roll it through the widest setting on your pasta machine, repeatedly folding it in half and rolling through again until it starts to look smooth and is not cracking on the edges. Start increasing the numbers on the machine one by one and roll it through the pasta machine until you achieve a medium thickness (on my pasta machine this is number 5). Then use the cutting attachment on the pasta machine to cut into thin noodles approximately 28-30cm in length. Dust the noodles with flour to prevent them from sticking. They can be used immediately or they can be frozen for a future time. You cal roll out the dough by hand with a rolling pin but it will require some elbow grease.

To make the ginger and citrus salsa:

Heat a small amount of vegetable oil (1 tsp. ish) in a small nonstick pan. Cook the citrus slices over medium heat for approximately 2 minutes per side until they are browned and caramelised. Set aside to cool. Wipe out that pan with a cloth and then add the 2 tbls. vegetable oil over low heat. Add the sliced green onion and microplaned ginger and sizzle that for 2-3 minutes. Pour this into a small bowl and allow to cool. Add chopped parsley or coriander and then finally mince up the lemon slices and mix those in too with a pinch of salt. Set aside.

To finish:

Boil your noodles in unsalted water for 1.5 minutes and then use tongs or chopsticks to remove them from the water and distribute them evenly amongst 4 bowls. Bring your chicken stock or dashi to a simmer and season it with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar or yuzu vinegar. Add a teaspoon of each at a time to avoid using too much. Taste it to ensure it to your liking. Divide the broth among the 4 bowls and then add a spoonful of the citrus and ginger salsa to the top. Finish with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and serve hot.