Miso Nikomi Udon

Miso nikomi udon is a Nagoya specialty. Wikipedia documents it as a regional udon dish of the Chubu area, centered on Nagoya. The defining ingredient is hatcho miso — a dark, red-brown, deeply fermented soybean miso from Aichi Prefecture, richer and more astringent than the lighter miso varieties of Kyoto or Sendai. The udon is simmered directly in this miso-based broth (rather than served separately), in an individual clay pot; a raw egg is cracked on top and cooks in the boiling broth.

A clay pot of miso nikomi udon is dark, rich, and intense — the hatcho miso giving a broth far more robust than ordinary miso soup. The udon, simmered in the broth, has absorbed its flavor throughout. The raw egg, set by the heat into soft ribbons, mellows the miso's astringency with its fat. Eaten scalding hot from the pot, it is Nagoya's answer to nabeyaki udon — darker, heavier, and more assertive.

Miso nikomi udon rests on the hatcho miso and the direct simmering. Hatcho miso — fermented for up to two years in cedar barrels — has a higher concentration of the Maillard and enzymatic breakdown products that give it its dark color and astringent depth; it is saltier and less sweet than lighter miso. The udon is simmered directly in the miso broth, so the noodles absorb the miso's flavor throughout. The starch released by the udon thickens the broth into a coating, almost sauce-like consistency. The egg, cracked on top, cooks in the residual heat; its yolk fat emulsifies into the broth, mellowing the miso's intensity.