Soba With ChickenJU And Green Onions

• 6 to 8 scallions
• 4 quarts water
• 1 pound soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles)
• 4 cups dashi made by dissolving 1 teaspoon instant dashi in 4 cups simmering water, or use 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon mirin (rice wine)
• Salt to taste
• 1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast, cut in 3/4-inch squares
• Ground sansho pepper or a mixture of cayenne and black pepper to taste

1. Trim roots and outside leaves from scallions, halve or quarter them lengthwise, then cut them in 2-inch lengths.
2. Set aside.
3. Bring the water to a boil and add noodles and boil until they are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
4. Drain and rinse them well under cold running water to remove surface starch.
5. In a separate saucepan, heat the dashi or stock to a simmer.
6. Add soy sauces, sugar, rice wine and salt.
7. Simmer 5 minutes.
8. Add chicken pieces and simmer about 10 minutes, skimming off any foam.
9. Add scallions and cook 1 minute longer.
10. Reheat noodles by placing them in a sieve and immersing them in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute.
11. Drain and divide the noodles among four deep bowls.
12. Reheat broth and ladle it with the chicken and scallions over the noodles.
13. Serve at once with pepper on the side.

scallions, water, noodles, simmering water, soy sauce, soy sauce, sugar, rice wine, salt, chicken, ground sansho pepper

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8533 (may not work)