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Zucchini Tofu Udon

Recipe picture

  • Serves: 4
  • Time: 25 minutes
  • Date added: 2023-08-26

Description

Fuyu, or fermented tofu, is the umami star of this quick noodle dish, delivering a briny, tangy saltiness that is also creamy. Also called furu or doufuru, it is made by fermenting soybean curds in a brine of rice wine, water, salt and spices. It has a strong flavor on its own, but when used to stir-fry noodles (or greens, as it is commonly employed in Chinese cooking), its punchiness mellows into a subtly sweet hum that is redolent of buttery blue cheese. This dish is finished with a generous amount of black pepper, giving it unmistakable cacio e pepe vibes. In a dish where black pepper is front and center like this one, freshly ground is preferred, but measuring it can be cumbersome, so if you are using a grinder, 1 teaspoon amounts to about 50 to 60 turns.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 pounds (4 blocks) fresh, vacuum-sealed udon noodles
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 4 tablespoons white fuyu (fermented tofu), plus optional 1 tablespoon of the brine (see Tip) (or white miso)
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
  • 2 medium zucchini (12 ounces), trimmed and cut into .25 inch batons
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 scallions, trimmed and finely sliced

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the udon noodles and cook for about 2 minutes, using wooden chopsticks or tongs to gently loosen the noodles from their tight bundle. Drain, rinse with cold water and leave to continue draining while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
  2. Meanwhile, place the melted butter, fuyu and soy sauce in a bowl and whisk together until smooth. If the mixture looks too thick, add 1 tablespoon of the fuyu brine or water to loosen up the mixture. Set aside.
  3. Heat a large 12-inch skillet or wok on medium high. When hot, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil, along with the tofu and salt and toss for 2 to 3 minutes until the tofu has released some of its liquid. Add the zucchini and garlic and toss for 2 minutes until it has softened.
  4. Add the udon, the butter-fuyu mixture and black pepper and toss well to combine. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, until the noodles are heated through.
  5. To serve, top with scallions.

Notes

Fuyu is available at Chinese and Asian grocery stores. It comes in two varieties: White, which is golden in color and is used in this recipe; and red, also called hong furu or nam yu, which is made with red yeast rice and is stronger in flavor. If you can’t access fuyu, substitute with white (shiro) miso.

Source

NYTimes

Comments

  • 2023-08-22: Anna really liked, I thought it could use more salt. Made it with fresh Chinese noodles instead of udon.