Cook the Book: Black Sesame Otsu

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 
• 0.1 teaspoon ground pepper 
• 12 ounces tofu 
• 1 bunch spring onion light thinly sliced
• 1.5 teaspoons mirin 
• 1.5 tablespoons evaporated cane juice 
• 4 servings olive oil extra virgin extra-virgin
• 1 teaspoon pinenuts 
• 4 servings sea salt fine-grain
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil toasted
• 0.5 cup sesame seeds black
• 12 ounces soba noodles 
• 1.5 tablespoons soya sauce 
• 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds 

Equipment

• food processor
• frying pan
• mixing bowl
• pot
• mortar and pestle

Directions

1. Toast the pine nuts and sunflower seeds in a large skillet over medium heat until golden, shaking the pan regularly.
2. Add the sesame seeds to the pan and toast for a minute or so. It’s hard to tell when they are toasted; look closely and use your nose.
3. Remove from the heat as soon as you smell a hint of toasted sesame; if you let them go much beyond that, you’ll start smelling burned sesame—not good.
4. Transfer to a mortar and pestle and crush the mixture; the texture should be like black sand. Alternatively, you can use a food processor. Stir in the sugar, shoyu, mirin, sesame oil, brown rice vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust if needed.
5. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt generously, add the soba, and cook according to the package instructions until tender.
6. Drain, reserving some of the noodle cooking water, and rinse under cold running water.
7. While the noodles are cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut into matchstick shapes. Season the tofu with a pinch of salt, toss with a small amount of oil, and cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, tossing every couple minutes, until the pieces are browned on all sides.
8. Reserve a heaping tablespoon of the sesame paste, then thin the rest with 1/3 cup / 80 ml of the hot noodle water. In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, half of the green onions, and the black sesame paste. Toss until well combined.
9. Add the tofu and toss again gently.
10. Serve topped with a tiny dollop of the reserved sesame paste and the remaining green onions.