The udon noodles with ham and poached egg are an Italianized version of this delicious pasta of Japanese origin. On my blog (or even in my second book) you can find udon with different toppings, I never get tired of making them, and my daughters often ask for them too. This time I prepared them with more traditional ingredients for Italian tastes, namely peppers and ham, and I also used balsamic vinegar for the dressing instead of rice vinegar or white vinegar. The poached egg placed on each portion then gives that extra touch. This way you get a delicious single dish to serve on any occasion.
If you like udon, try these recipes of mine too:
- Difficulty: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Japanese
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs fresh udon noodles (clicking and following the link you will find the recipe to make them at home)
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper
- 5 oz cooked ham
- 1 clove garlic
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 spring onion
- to taste sesame seeds
- 4 eggs
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3.4 fluid oz soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey
Steps
If you find udon at the supermarket, you can obviously use the pre-made ones, following the cooking instructions on the package. Alternatively, you can make them at home by following this recipe of mine.
Once the udon is ready, proceed as follows.
To prepare the udon with ham and poached egg, bring plenty of water to a boil in a large pot, lightly salt it as the noodles are already salted, and cook the udon. Cook for about 10 minutes (or for the time indicated on your package), taste test. Then rinse them with plenty of cold water to remove all the starch.
While you heat the water and cook the udon, you can prepare the dressing.
Wash and clean the peppers, cut them into cubes and set aside. Cut the ham into strips and set aside.
Peel the garlic and chop it finely.
Heat a large pan with 2-3 tablespoons of oil and gently fry the garlic. Add the peppers and sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the ham and sesame seeds and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.
Wash and slice the spring onion and add it to the peppers. Cook for another minute; the peppers should soften a little but still be firm.
In a separate bowl, mix the soy sauce with Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and honey.
When your udon is cooked and rinsed with plenty of cold water to remove the starch, put them in the pan with the pepper and ham dressing and sauté everything over high heat for a couple of minutes. Then pour in the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar mix and continue cooking for a couple of minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens a bit.
Serve your udon noodles by placing a poached egg on each portion on the plate and garnishing with chopped chives and sesame.
Bring water to a boil in a pot along with the vinegar.
When the water boils, gently crack an egg at a time into a small bowl, making sure the yolk doesn’t break.
With the help of a spoon, create a whirlpool in the boiling water, slide the eggs into the center of the whirlpool, and lower the heat. Let cook for 3 minutes, then gently remove the poached eggs from the water with a slotted spoon. Let them drain for a moment and place on the plated udon.
