Cold Sesame Soba Noodles

There’s something about a cold noodle salad.

75g sesame seeds

Salt

250g Soba noodles

2tsp rice vinegar

5tsp soy sauce

2tsp honey

2tsp sesame oil

3 spring onions

1 fat red chilli sliced (optional)

Toast the sesame seeds, gently in a dry skillet and set aside when they turn golden.

Bring a large pan of water up to the boil and add the salt. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions – it will be about 6 minutes or so. Start checking after 5, as you don’t want them soft and over-cooked. Drain and plunge into icy water to stop the cooking instantly. Drain again quickly.

In a large bowl mix the soy sauce –( I think Kikkoman is the best choice here), the honey and sesame oil. Finely slice the spring onions into tiny ringlets and add them. If this was just for me I’d add the chilli now, but as the boy will spend all night picking them out I will add these at the end, to just my portion.

Add the noodles and mix, and then the toasted sesame seeds and toss gently to combine it all.

Just for fun, decant this into foil containers so they look like they came from a takeaway. Leave to rest in the fridge for half an hour, though you don’t want them really cold. Add the chillies to one portion (yours) and mark the lid with an X. Try to remember whether the X means with chillies or without.

Present the boy with his and a pair of chopsticks, knowing that his white T-shirt can go in the wash straight after.