Chef Jake Nicholson is an Australian chef who has worked at several top restaurants, including the Lake House in Australia, the Square in London, and the Vineyard at Stockcross in Berkshire. He is, without a doubt, one of Australia’s leading culinary experts. Today’s World Kitchen would like to share with you one of Chef Jake Nicholson’s famous recipes: organic soba with herbaceous leaves, asparagus and marinated tofu.
Main Ingredients
- 350g spiral organic soba noodles, cooked
- 1 bunch watercress, picked and washed
- 80g spiral pickled ginger
- 60g pea shoot tendrils, picked and washed
- 10g toasted sesame seeds
- 200g firm tofu
- 50ml spiral tamari
- 50ml spiral mirin
For the Pickled Vegetables
- 80g asparagus spears, cut into sticks
- 80g celery, cut into sticks
- pinch of Korean red pepper powder
- 10ml spiral umeboshi plum vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 10g organic sugar
- 50ml spiral toasted sesame oil
For the Shiso Vinaigrette
- 125ml shiso vinegar
- 50ml spiral tamari
- 50ml spiral mirin
- 10g bonito flakes
- 150ml grapeseed oil
- 2 cloves garlic
Directions
- Cut the 200g of firm tofu into small, bite sized pieces.
- Marinate the tofu for at least two hours in the 50ml or tamari and 50 ml of mirin mixture.
- Gently sauté the sliced asparagus and celery in the garlic, then sprinkle with the 10g of organic sugar and the pinch of Korean red pepper powder.
- Deglaze the asparagus and celery with 10ml of plum vinegar and 50ml of sesame oil.
- Allow them to cool.
- To make the shiso vinaigrette dressing: warm the shiso, tamari and mirin slightly, then add bonito and garlic.
- Chef Jake Nicholson suggests allowing the dressing to cool before adding to the plate.
- Combine the soba noodles, watercress, pickled ginger, pea shoot tendrils, sesame seeds, pickled asparagus and celery, and the marinated tofu. Dress with shiso vinaigrette and top it off with a small squeeze of lime juice.
- Present the organic soba with herbaceous leaves, asparagus and marinated tofu in a nice, large bowl.
- Enjoy!