These noodles are comforting, vibrant, herby and pair perfectly with a Japanese slow poached egg. Of course, if you don’t want the extra faff and prep time involved with the Japanese egg, a normal poached egg works too; although I’d argue the custardy texture of the yolk makes it worthwhile.
A simple go-to recipe when you have loads of spinach and want something quick, healthy and comforting
These noodles pair perfectly with a Japanese slow poached egg, but it’s a bit more work and will need to be started an hour in advance. To make the eggs, bring a large pot of hot water up to between 60 – 65°C. (use a heat thermometer to be precise).
Add your eggs to the water, propping them off the bottom of the pot to keep them from cooking too quickly.
Cook for 45 minutes, checking the temperature of the water every 15 minutes.
While the eggs are poaching, place sunflower oil, spinach, coriander, garlic, miso, sesame oil and lime into a blender.
Blend into a silky-smooth green sauce and set aside.
5 minutes before you are ready to serve, cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and toss in the miso and coriander sauce with a knob of butter.
Remove the eggs from heat and gently crack from their shells on top of your noodles.
Top with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, dried chilis, fresh scallions or whatever crispy chilli oil you have in your cupboard. It’s a casual bowl so dress it up however you like!
Eggs can be made up to 24 hours in advance and stored in the fridge. To serve, reheat under a hot tap for a minute before cracking over the noodles.
Tip
Slow poaching, or onsen tamago, is a Japanese technique where eggs are cooked at sub-boiling temperatures over a long period of time. This method doesn’t just bring theatre when cracking a cooked egg directly out of the shell onto the noodles, it slow-cooks the yolk, changing the structure to a custardy consistency.
