SOMEN IN A CLAY POT WITH CHICKEN AND EGGPLANT

Somen in a Clay Pot with Chicken and Eggplant image

Although somen is typically a summertime food, here's a delicious, fragrant dish you can enjoy year-round. I love cooking with traditional clay pots, which add a nice homey touch. They also keep food warm and, best of all, make a dramatic presentation-especially when you lift the lid to release this dish's seductive aroma. You can find these vessels (called "donabe" in Japanese) in Asian markets, or you can substitute a Dutch oven or any sturdy pot with a lid (enamel or cast-iron pots work great). If you're using a pot, combine all the servings and set the pot, covered, on a heatproof dish on your dining table. Remove the lid with a flourish and ladle into bowls. You'll see that I call for an udon broth for this recipe. So why not udon noodles? Chicken and eggplant are lighter foods that perfectly complement the lighter somen noodle, while the udon broth adds body and flavor to this hot dish. I use violet-colored Chinese eggplants, which are about the size of zucchini and cook quicker than the larger, more common varieties.

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

2 Chinese eggplants
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
13 ounces chicken leg and thigh, skin on, deboned
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of pepper
1/4 cup sake
8 pea pods, stemmed
5 cups hot Udon Broth (page 66)
12 ounces dried somen noodles
1 1/4 cups shimeji mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon yuzu pepper (optional)

Steps:

Heat a grill or grill pan until hot. With the tip of a paring knife, poke several small holes on each side of the eggplants. Grill the eggplants, turning every 2 to 4 minutes, until the skin becomes charred and very soft, about 10 minutes total cooking time. Remove the eggplants from the grill and let them sit at room temperature until cool.
Meanwhile, pour the vegetable oil into a pot that is just large enough to place the chicken in a single layer and set it over high heat. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until the skin turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook for 1 minute longer, then flip again and decrease the heat to low.
Carefully pour in the sake, then cover the pot with a lid. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes longer, then remove the pot from the burner and let sit, covered, for 2 minutes. Remove the cooked chicken from the pot and set on a plate or cutting board until cool, then use your hands to shred the chicken into small pieces.
Once the eggplants have cooled, slice off the top and bottom ends and use your hands to peel off the skin, which you can discard. Slice the eggplants in half lengthwise, then into 1-inch-long pieces. Set aside.
Prepare an ice bath and place a pot of water over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add the pea pods and cook for 45 seconds. Remove the pea pods and submerge in the ice bath. Drain well. When chilled, slice each into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside. (Note: Do not discard the boiling water; cover and keep warm until you're ready to cook the noodles.)
Pour the hot broth into 4 clay pots, then set each pot over high heat.
Add the somen noodles to the reserved boiling water and cook until al dente, about 1 minute. Rinse under cold running water until chilled, and drain well.
Once the broth comes to a boil, divide the somen noodles equally among the clay pots and top each with one-fourth of the eggplant, mushrooms, and chicken. Cover and increase the heat to high until the liquid returns to a boil, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat.
Set a folded paper towel in the center of 2 heatproof plates and rest the clay pots on top of them. Briefly remove the lids to garnish with the pea pods and yuzu pepper. Replace the lids to serve.