Tai-men (sea bream noodles) ｜ Our Regional Cuisines

1. In a large pot, make soup stock using dried shiitake mushrooms and kelp. Season to taste.

2. Remove the scales and entrails from the snapper, season with salt, and set aside.

3. Cover the seabream with cotton and pour boiling water over it to marbleize it.

4. Wrap the fish in the cotton and carefully add it to the soup stock.

5. Take half Jigona(=All-purpose flour) and half Cake flour and knead them together, adding water gradually.

6. Divide step 5 into four or five portions.

7. Put the dough into a noodle-making machine.

8. Start by kneading the dough.

9. Fold the dough as it comes out and pass it through the machine several times.

10. The dough will become smoother and smoother as you repeat the process.

11. After kneading the udon dough for about 4 or 5 times, the dough will become smoother and more elastic. Then, cut it into appropriate lengths.

12. Next, use a different part of the noodle-making machine to cut the smooth dough into thin noodles, which is the way Himejima's udon noodles are made.

13. Himejima's udon noodles are thin.

14. Immediately boil the noodles in plenty of water.

15. When the water boils up, add more water and continue boiling the noodles until they are cooked through.

16. Wash the boiled noodles well under running water before serving.

17. Put the noodles together for each person. This is called kanake.

18. Gently remove the cooked fish from the pot.

19. Arrange the fish on a platter, trying not to break up the fish.

20. After removing the fish, season the broth to a thicker consistency and add the udon noodles to the stew to soak up the flavor of the fish.

21. Arrange the noodles together on the platter and pour the broth over the noodles to complete the dish.

22. After presenting the dish to everyone, place the noodles in bowls and top with the seabream meat.

23. Pour broth over noodles.

24. It is delicious even without condiments.