Udon with Carrot–Miso Butter Sauce & Shellfish

Carrot, miso, caramelized garlic and butter are simply made for each other. I didn’t invent anything new here: it’s a tried-and-true, almost classic combination, and it often includes ginger as well. I planned to bring in a little acidity with my homemade pickled ginger, but once I tasted all the elements together, I realized they were better without it. The carrots are roasted until soft and caramelized, then blended with dashi, miso and butter into a glossy sauce that coats the udon. I built my bowl around a balance of protein, carbs and fat, and I love Arctic surf clams and mussels. But honestly, if you’re cooking purely for flavor, make this dish with scallops alone, or with rolls of delicate white fish. What you get is tenderness and calm, like an Indian summer.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C.

Step 2

Cut the carrots lengthwise: large ones into quarters, thin ones in half. Salt them, drizzle with oil, toss and spread out on a baking sheet.

Step 3

Salt the peeled garlic cloves, toss with oil and wrap in foil.

Step 4

Roast for about 25–35 minutes, turning once. The carrots should be completely soft inside, with a thin golden caramelized crust on the edges and flat surfaces.

Step 5

The garlic will be ready earlier, after 20–25 minutes. Take it out and mash it.

Step 6

Put the hot carrots, roasted garlic and dashi into a high-speed blender. As usual, start on the lowest speed and work up to the highest. Blend until completely smooth.

Step 7

Add the miso and blend briefly again.

Step 8

Add the cold butter and blend briefly once more, until the sauce turns glossy.

Step 9

Taste. This sauce should be thinner than the one for the squid. It should coat the noodles and run freely off a spoon, not sit in a puddle.

Step 10

If the sauce tastes flat, add another ½ tbsp miso or a drop of soy sauce rather than salt. Salt goes in only at the very end: the miso and dashi are already salty.

Step 11

Cook the udon according to the package, usually 1½–2 minutes in barely boiling water, stirring.

Step 12

Transfer the noodles to the saucepan with the warm sauce and toss. If needed, add a spoonful or two of the cooking water: the starch helps the sauce cling to the noodles.

Step 13

Lightly salt the scallops while they are still slightly frozen, and score them on both sides.

Step 14

Poach them in barely simmering dashi for 3–4 minutes, until the edges are opaque and the center is still slightly translucent.

Step 15

For the last minute, add the mussels and clams to warm through, then take the pan off the heat right away. The Arctic clams only need to warm up; any longer and they turn rubbery.

Step 16

Warm the bowls in advance: a butter-based sauce thickens quickly in a cold bowl.

Step 17

Arrange the udon in a nest. Place the mussels and clams around and on top, and the scallops on top of everything.

Step 18

Spoon the ikura onto the scallops. Sprinkle with shichimi to taste.