Cold buckwheat noodles dressed in sesame, layered with crab and finished with a small spoonful of caviar. It looks restaurant-plated; it takes fifteen minutes.
Ingredients
- 200 g Japanese soba noodles
- 80 g fresh white crab meat
- 2 tbsp Royal Oscietra caviar
- 4 tbsp Japanese sesame sauce (or homemade, see below)
- Zest of 1 small orange
- 1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
- 1 small lollo rosso lettuce leaf
- Fine sea salt, for the cooking water
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- Cold water, to loosen
Method
- Bring a pot of well-salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the soba according to the packet, usually 6 to 7 minutes, until just tender. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold running water to halt the cooking and rinse off the surface starch.
- If you are using shop-bought, set it aside. Otherwise whisk the tahini, soy, honey, and vinegar together, loosening with cold water a teaspoon at a time until pourable.
- Twist the cooled soba into a compact spiral on each plate. Drizzle generously with the sesame sauce.
- Mound the crab in the centre, then crown with a small spoonful of caviar. Scatter the orange zest over the top.
- Tuck the cucumber and lettuce alongside for crunch and freshness. Serve immediately, slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Notes
- Rinse the soba thoroughly: residual starch will dull the flavour of both the sesame and the caviar.
- Use a small mother-of-pearl spoon for the caviar. Metal can introduce a tinny note.
- A few drops of yuzu juice in place of the orange zest is a fine variation if you have it.
