Makes 4 entrée sized servings
4 bundles or approximately 8 ounces buckwheat Soba noodles
1 pound Phillips® jumbo lump crabmeat
2 large cucumbers, peeled and diced
1 large red bell pepper, cleaned and diced very small (brunoise cut)
¼ C. sesame seeds
Noodle sauce:
1 T. mustard
¼ C. Rice vinegar
1 C. Sesame oil
¼ C. sesame seeds
1 T. Nam-Pla or other Asian fish sauce
Pinch salt
Dash cayenne pepper
Vinaigrette:
¼ C. Rice vinegar
¾ C. Sesame oil
1 tsp. Honey
1 T. fresh grated ginger
1-3 ounce container Collins Caviar® Wasabi or Black Tobikko Caviar
Method:
Boil soba noodles until just barely al-dente (they cook quickly!). Drain and rinse well under cold water. Spread out on cookie sheet, drizzle with sesame oil, toss around a bit, and place in refrigerator. If you are doing this step a day in advance, place in covered vessel and store in refrigerator until ready to assemble, after they are well chilled.
In blender, place mustard and vinegar for shabu-shabu sauce. Turn blender on and begin to slowly dribble sesame oil in, to create a creamy emulsion, like a Caesar dressing. Add salt & cayenne as you add oil. Add the Nam-Pla at the very end. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Do NOT dress noodles at this time.
In a medium sized bowl, place crabmeat and gently pick through for shells. Add cucumber, red pepper & sesame seeds and toss together gently with your fingers. In a separate small, non-reactive bowl, whisk together first 4 ingredients for vinaigrette. Add caviar at the very end and stir in. Stir into the crab mixture just before you are ready to serve.
Place noodles in a large stainless or other non-reactive bowl, and pour the shabu-shabu sauce over them. Toss gently with your fingers or a rubber spatula (metal tongs can break noodles easily).
To serve:
For serving, place a mound of the dressed noodles center of each plate. Top with the crab salad. Garnish with ginger flowers or long stalks of lemongrass. Serve immediately, serves 4 entrée-sized portions.