Egg & Pork Curry Soup

Ingredients

• 2 liters beef stock
• 1 Tbs sunflower oil
• 2 long green shallots, white part fine chopped, green part shredded
• 100 g unsalted butter
• 100 g plain flour
• 1‌1⁄2 Tbs curry powder
• 1 Tbs each mirin and sake
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 4 hard-boiled eggs
• 270 g udon noodles, cooked
• Nori sheets and bonito flakes

Sake and Mirin Pork

• 2 Tbs sunflower oil
• 500g pork mince
• 10 g ginger, finely grated
• 1 Tbs each mirin and dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbs sake
• 2 tsp raw sugar

Directions

1. To make the soup, heat stock in a saucepan over high heat until hot, then cover and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a second saucepan over medium-high heat. Add finely chopped shallot and cook, stirring regularly, for 3 minutes or until softened. Add butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until foaming. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes to cook flour through. Add curry powder and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until well combined. In 2 batches, gradually whisk hot stock into curry mixture. Bring to a simmer, stir through mirin, sake and soy, reduce heat to low and cover to keep hot.
3. Meanwhile, for the sake and mirin pork, heat oil in a frypan over high heat. Add pork and ginger, and cook, breaking up mince with a wooden spoon, for 4 minutes or until browned. Add remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until reduced slightly.
4. Bring soup back to the boil. Peel the eggs.
5. Divide noodles and soup among serving bowls. Top with pork mixture, halved eggs, shredded shallot, nori and bonito, if using, to serve.