Stir-Fried Soba Noodles With Long Beans, Eggs and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces soba noodles
• Salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil, grapeseed oil, rice bran oil or canola oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 to 2 green chiles, such as jalapeño or serrano, minced
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 3/4 pound purple or green long beans, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
• 1 pound cherry tomatoes (about 3 cups)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems

Directions

1. First cook the soba noodles. Bring 3 or 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add salt to taste. Add the noodles gradually, so that the water remains at a boil, and stir once with a long-handled spoon or pasta fork so that they don’t stick together. Wait for the water to come back up to a rolling boil — it will bubble up, so don’t fill the pot all the way — and add 1 cup of cold water. Allow the water to come back to a rolling boil, and add another cup of cold water. Allow the water to come to a boil one more time, and add a third cup of water. When the water comes to a boil again, the noodles should be cooked through. Drain and toss with the sesame oil in a bowl and set aside.

2. Mix together the stock, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Mix the minced chiles, garlic and ginger in another bowl. Place all of the ingredients within reach of your wok.

3. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within a second or two when added to the pan. Meanwhile beat 1 of the eggs in a bowl and add salt to taste. Swirl 1 teaspoon of the oil into the wok and add the egg, using a rubber spatula to scrape out every last bit. Tilt the wok to spread the egg into a pancake and cook until set, 30 seconds to a minute. Using a metal spatula, flip over and cook for about 5 seconds, then transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 2-inch long by 1/4-inch wide slices. Repeat with the other egg.

4. Add the remaining oil to the wok, swirl the pan, then add the garlic, ginger and chile and stir-fry for no more than 10 seconds. Add the long beans and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until they collapse a little in the wok. Add the noodles, the stock mixture, and salt to taste, turn the heat down to medium and stir-fry for about a minute, until the liquid has evaporated. Sprinkle with pepper, add the eggs and cilantro, stir-fry to heat through, and serve.

Yield: Serves 4