Summer Green Tea Soba with Mussels 夏日青蠔綠茶冷麵

Category: Tapas, Appetizer, Pasta
Style: Fusion
Difficulty: Easy
Portion: Serves 8 as appetizer

Ingredients
1 lb fresh mussels
8 oz dried green tea soba
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
2 tbsp fine bonito flakes
1/4 cup pitted black olives, sliced
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
4 tbsp minced celery leaves, to garnish

Procedures
Clean mussels. Bring to boil a large pot of water, and add mussels. Cook covered until mussels open, about 5 minutes. Drain and remove mussels from shells. Set aside and let cool.
Boil green tea soba in a large pot of boiling water for 5-7 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold running water until completely cooled. Drain and set aside.
Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce and bonito flakes in a small saucepan and stir to mix. Bring sauce mixture to a boil, then simmer for 5 seconds, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Place noodles, black olives and sun-dried tomatoes in a mixing bowl. Reserve some sauce, and pour the rest into the bowl. Toss gently to mix thoroughly.
To serve, place noodle on a plate. Top with mussels, and drizzle with reserved sauce on top. Garnish with celery leaves.

Tips
Bonito flakes are shavings of dried, cured tuna fish and have a smokey taste almost like fine ham. They are available in Japanese supermarket in coarse or fine flakes. Coarse flakes are used for making dashi stock.