Miso Ramen

 

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

• 1 lb shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

• 6 bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated

• 1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped

• 8 cups vegetable broth

• 3 tablespoons white miso

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

• 4 large eggs

• 16 oz. fresh ramen noodles or 5 3-oz. packets dry ramen

• 2 heads baby bok choy, quartered lengthwise

• 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds

• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

• Toasted nori, for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove from pot.

2. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pot. Add scallion whites, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add broth and bring to a simmer.

3. Remove a ladleful of broth from the pot and transfer to a small bowl; add miso and whisk until smooth. Return to pot; add tamari and sesame oil.

4. Lower eggs into a large pot of gently boiling water; cook for 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer eggs to a bowl of ice water. Set aside.

5. Return water to a boil. Add noodles and bok choy; cook until noodles are al dente and bok choy turns bright green, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain; remove bok choy. Rinse noodles under cold water, then drain again. Divide noodles and bok choy among bowls.

6. Peel eggs and halve lengthwise.

7. Pour broth over noodles. Top with mushrooms, eggs, and scallion greens. Roughly chop sesame seeds and red pepper flakes; sprinkle over bowls. Crumble nori over each bowl, if desired.

Brothy Noodle Bowl with Mushrooms and Chiles

 

Ingredients

2 SERVINGS

DASHI

6

dried shiitake mushrooms

1

1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

1

dried chile de árbol, broken in half

3

garlic cloves, smashed

½

oz. dried kombu (about ½ sheet)

½

tsp. ground turmeric or 1" piece fresh turmeric, peeled, finely grated

1

Tbsp. white miso paste

2

tsp. low-sodium soy sauce

Kosher salt

NOODLES AND ASSEMBLY

2

Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

6

oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, thinly sliced

1

small garlic clove

Kosher salt

4

oz. rice vermicelli noodles

2

radishes, thinly sliced

1

cup mixed herbs, such as shiso, Thai basil, cilantro, and/or mint

¼

cup fermented vegetables, such as kimchi

Toasted sesame seeds, hot sauce, and toasted sesame oil (for serving)

Preparation

DASHI

Step 1

Combine mushrooms, ginger, chile, garlic, kombu, turmeric, and 4½ cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, cover, then reduce heat to very low and cook 25 minutes to infuse broth. Strain dashi through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Wipe out pot, pour dashi back in, and bring to a simmer.

Step 2

Mix miso paste and 1 Tbsp. broth with a spoon or fork in a small bowl to loosen miso. Stir miso mixture and soy sauce into broth; season with salt. Keep hot.

Step 3

Do Ahead: Dashi can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool, then transfer to an airtight container and chill.

NOODLES AND ASSEMBLY

Step 4

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat, grate garlic over mushrooms, and stir to combine (garlic will cook in residual heat of mushrooms). Season with salt.

Step 5

Drop vermicelli into very hot dashi broth. Cover and let sit 3 minutes (or cook according to package directions).

Step 6

Divide noodles and dashi between bowls. Top with mushrooms, radishes, herbs, fermented vegetables, and sesame seeds. Drizzle with hot sauce and sesame oil before serving.

Ginger Scallion Ramen Noodles

 

Ingredients

4 SERVINGS

1

5-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)

4

garlic cloves, finely chopped

1

large bunch of scallions, very thinly sliced (about 2 cups), divided

½

cup grapeseed or other neutral oil

2

tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1

tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar

1

teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1

teaspoon toasted sesame oil

½

teaspoon sugar

Kosher salt

4

5-ounce packages wavy ramen noodles, preferably fresh

Toasted sesame seeds and chili oil (for serving)

Preparation

Step 1

Stir ginger, garlic, and two-thirds of scallions in a large bowl.

Step 2

Heat grapeseed oil in a small saucepan over high until oil is shimmery and hot but not smoking, about 2 minutes. Pour hot oil over scallion mixture. The scallions will sizzle, turn bright green, and wilt almost immediately. Let sit 5 minutes before stirring in remaining scallions. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, sesame oil, and sugar; season with salt. Let sit to let flavors meld, 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Step 3

Meanwhile, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and toss with as much or as little scallion sauce as you'd like in bowl.

Step 4

Divide noodles among bowls. Top with sesame seeds and serve with chili oil alongside.

Collard Greens Ramen

 

Ingredients

Ingredient Checklist

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) bunch collard greens
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 bacon slices
• 2 large yellow onions, thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
• 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 pound smoked ham hocks, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) bourbon or other whiskey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 8 cups cold water
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• 12 ounces uncooked instant ramen noodles, cooked
• 4 large hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved
• 8 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 teaspoons shichimi togarashi

Directions

Instructions Checklist

• Step 1

  Using a sharp knife, remove stems from collard greens. Cut leaves into 2-inch squares (about 14 cups), and rinse in cold water.

• Step 2

  Heat olive oil in a 4-quart stockpot over medium. Add bacon; cook until crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving drippings in pot. Crumble bacon, and set aside.

• Step 3

  Add onions and garlic to hot drippings in pot, and cook over mediumv, stirring often, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Add ham hocks, and cook until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning ham hocks every 45 seconds. Add bourbon and vinegar, and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits on bottom of pot, until liquid is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Add 8 cups cold water; bring to a simmer.

• Step 4

  Add salt and pepper to soup. Add collards in large handfuls, stirring each addition until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes, before adding next handful. Return to a simmer; cover and cook until collards are tender, about 1 hour.

• Step 5

  Remove ham hocks; cool slightly. Pull meat from bones, and chop meat. Discard bones and skin.

• Step 6

  Divide soy sauce evenly among 4 serving bowls. Ladle 1 1/4 cups liquid from cooked collards into each bowl. Divide noodles evenly among 4 bowls, and stir noodles twice in broth to combine.

• Step 7

  Top bowls evenly with ham hock meat, collards, eggs, bacon, scallions, lime wedges, and shichimi togarashi.

Homemade Chicken Ramen

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs (boneless, skin-on)

kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to season

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

3 tsp fresh garlic, minced

3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp mirin

5 cups rich chicken stock

1 oz dried shitake mushrooms (or 1/2 cup fresh)

1-2 tsp sea salt, to taste

2 large eggs

1/2 cup scallions, sliced

2 (3 oz) packs dried ramen noodles

optional: fresh jalapeño slices, for serving

Instructions

Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown and releases easily from the pan, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until golden. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil until ready to serve.

Let the chicken cool and then slice into thin pieces.

Make the ramen broth: Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat, until shimmering. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes until softened. Add the soy sauce and mirin, and stir to combine. Cook for another minute. Add the stock, cover, and bring to boil. Remove the lid, and let simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Simmer gently for another 10 minutes, and season with salt, to taste.

Make the soft-boiled eggs: Fill a pot with enough water to cover the eggs, and bring to a boil. Gently lower the eggs (still cold from the fridge) into the boiling water, and let simmer for 7 minutes (for a slightly-runny yoke) or 8 minutes (for a soft, but set-up yoke).

When the eggs finish cooking, add the ramen noodles to the boiling water. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft,

Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water. When the timer finishes, transfer the eggs to the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Wait at least 5 minutes, or until cool enough to handle, then carefully peel away the shell and slice in half, lengthwise. Set aside until ready to serve.

Assemble the ramen bowls: Divide the noodles into two large bowls. Add the sliced chicken and the ramen broth. Top with the fresh scallions, jalapeño and the soft boiled egg. Serve immediately.

** Makes only 2-3 servings.  Consider doubling **