How to Make Ankake Spaghetti (Nagoya Pasta)

My wife told me this was the most ridiculous dish she had ever seen. That was the moment I set a tonkatsu on top of it. To me it's just what I grew up with and it never once struck me as strange. This is ankake spa and yes it's from Nagoya. Set large pot of water over high heat and bring it up to a rolling boil. While it heats, slice 150 grams of hot dog sausages on a steep diagonal. Long ovals rather than coins. I know some of you might have something to say about the hot dog sausages in a plate of spaghetti. This is the default here and I did not invent this dish so let me off the hook on that one. Next, half an onion sliced. One green bell pepper sliced into strips. And five bottom mushrooms sliced thin so they cook through at the same time as everything else. Prep is ready. Now back to the water. Once it's at full boil, add salt and two portions of dry spaghetti. There is one thing worth noting here. Nagoya uses thick spaghetti, 2.2 millimeters. And if you can find it, use it. If you cannot, just reach for the thickest one on the shelf. Boil it to al dente for the wind of time on your package. If Japanese style pasta is new territory for you, my button soy sauce version is the gentlest way in. And it's on the card on your screen. Heat a wok or a large skillet over high heat and add half tablespoon of cooking oil. In go the sausages, the onion, the bell pepper and the mushrooms. Keep them moving. And while that pan works, let me tell you why I chased this one for so long. I grew up eating uncooked spaghetti. There is a restaurant I have been going to since I was a teenager. And when I started developing this recipe, I had exactly one goal. To land on that plate. It took me more attempts than I want to admit out loud. This is the version that finally got there. Look at the cut edges of the sausages catching colour there. That is the mark you were waiting for. Once the onion turns translucent too, tip the whole lot onto a plate and set it aside. The vegetables are done and the wok comes back at the end. Now the sauce. In a separate saucepan ladle in 300 millilitres of the past water. Straight from the pot and drop in half a beef bouillon cube. Brands vary so the target is whatever amount your bouillon needs to flavour. 500 millilitres or two cups of stock. Stir until it dissolves. Now we have the base. Then two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce. If you have a Japanese bottle reach for that one. But the bottle already in your fridge will do the job here. One tablespoon of tomato ketchup. One tablespoon of white wine. Five drops of chilli sauce. I use Tabasco. Half teaspoon of garlic powder. And one bay leaf. Then the pepper. And this is where the flavour actually lives. Half teaspoon of ground black pepper. And a quarter teaspoon of ground white pepper. Two peppers, not one. Because using both together lands a sharper, more peppery bite. And either one gives you a loan. And that heat is completely different from the chilli sauce. Pepper heat and chilli heat are not the same thing. And this dish wants both on the plate. Bring it up to a boil over medium heat. Then drop it to low and let it simmer for five minutes. This is a Nagoya dish born there in the early 1960s. In a kitchen of a hotel that served western food. And even in Japan if you're not from that corner of the country. There is a good chance you have never once eaten it. While that simmers mix one tablespoon of potato starch. With one tablespoon of water in a small bowl. Until no lumps are left. Corn starch works here too if that is what you have. After five minutes fish out the bay leaf. Now add slurry a little at a time. Whisking after every addition. Do not tip it all in at once. That is exactly how you end up with lumps. Now watch the pan because this is the moment the dish is named after. The thin cloudy brown liquid turns glossy and clear. And it starts clinging to the back of a spoon instead of running off it. That is Ankake. Pull off the heat. Drain the spaghetti and shake the colander to knock off the last of the water. Put the wok back on a medium heat. And add one tablespoon of lard. Here's where this stops behaving like a regular pasta dish even further. Add the drained spaghetti and fry it in the lard. Tossing until every strand is coated. And the surface starts catching and crisp. What you're chasing is crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. And the lard is doing more work here than it might look. Putting enough richness into noodles to stand up to a sauce that's bold. In Agoya this almost never arrives plain. The house move is to pile something fried on top. And mine is always Tonkatsu. Which is exactly what is going on. That bold right there. If you want to make one the full recipe is on the card on your screen. Plate the finished Ankake spaghetti onto a warm dish. Pile the sausages and vegetables over the top. And pour the sauce around. And this is my Ankake spaghetti. This is what Nagoya tastes like in 25 minutes. Make this tonight. Google Ankake spaghetti statue for the full printable recipe. With exact measurements and timing. Want even more delicious recipes? Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description. Okay let's go over the ingredients one more time. And if you're ready to cook. Grab the written instructions by clicking the full recipe box. With a picture that's about to pop up on your screen. Tap the recipe card on your screen for the full printable version. With exact measurements. Every timing. And notes for getting each step right. Next time I'm making Bikkuridonki Kopika Hamburg. See you then.