Spicy Miso Ramen EXPRESS

• Meat

  • 2 cups Chicken or pork stock, unsalted
  • 7 2/3 oz Fatty ground pork

• Seafood

  • 1 sheet Nori/japanese sushi seaweed

• Produce

  • 2 (33 grams of ginger
  • 8 cloves Garlic
  • 4 tbsp Scallions
  • 2 Shallots, small
  • 1 tbsp Shitake mushrooms, dried

• Refrigerated

  • 4 Eggs, large free range
  • 1 cup Unflavoured soy milk, unsweetened

• Canned Goods

  • 1 tbsp Dashi granules

• Condiments

  • 3 tbsp Mirin
  • 3/4 cup Miso paste, spicy
  • 1/2 cup Red miso paste
  • 2 tsp Sesame paste
  • 3 tbsp Soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup White miso paste

• Pasta & Grains

  • 2 servings Ramen noodles, Fresh

• Baking & Spices

  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 tbsp Brown sugar, dark
  • 2 1/2 tbsp Japanese seven spice
  • 1/2 tsp Sesame seeds
  • 1/3 cup Sichuan douban chili paste

• Oils & Vinegars

  • 2 tbsp Sesame oil, toasted
  • 6 tbsp Vegetable oil

• Liquids

  • 1 tbsp Water

• Other

  • 1 Small (or 3/4 medium onion, cut into chunks

Found on food52.com

Description

Ingredients

• ** SPICY MISO PASTE:
• 1/2 cup (130 grams) of white miso paste
• 1/2 cup (130 grams) of red miso paste
• 1/3 cup (80 grams) of sichuan douban chili paste
• 1 small (or 3/4 medium) onion, cut into chunks
• 6 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 2" (33 grams) of ginger, cut into chunks
• 3 tablespoons (60 grams) of mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon dashi granules
• 2 teaspoons (17 grams) of sesame paste (if Asian brands are unavailable, use tahini)
• ** SHOYU SOFT-BOILED EGGS:
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon water
• ** GARLIC AND TOGARASHI OI:
• 2 small shallots, finely minced
• 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Japanese seven spice (shichimi togarashi)
• 7.7 ounces (220 grams) of fatty ground pork
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried shitake mushrooms
• 2 cups (475 grams) of unsalted chicken or pork stock
• 1 cup (227 grams) of unsweetened, unflavoured soy milk (Asian brands preferred but if unavailable, American brands is ok, too)
• 1/2 cup 1/4 cup of spicy miso paste
• 2 servings of fresh ramen noodles
• 4 tablespoons finely diced scallions
• 1 sheet of nori/Japanese sushi seaweed, cut into rectangular sheets

Directions

• TO MAKE THE SPICY MISO PASTE: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until smoothly pureed. You may need to stop and scrape the blender a few times to get it going in the beginning. Transfer the mixture into a pot and set over medium heat. Bring to a low simmer and keep cooking/stirring for another 5 min. Let it cool completely and store in an air-tight container in the fridge until needed.
• TO MAKE THE SHOYU SOFT-BOILED EGGS: Gently place the eggs in a small pot and fill it with water until the eggs are covered by 1?. Add a generous pinch of salt (not listed in the ingredient-list because it’s more of a superstition for easy-peeling than anything…) and bring the water to a bare simmer on medium-high heat, then immediately lower the heat down to low (only enough heat to keep it at a bare simmer/or if you want to be anal, 212ºF/100ºC). The second the water reached the right temperature, set the timer at 4:30 min. Gently move the eggs around a few times during cooking. Once the timer goes off, immediately transfer the eggs into cold water and leave them to cool completely. Combine soy sauce, dark brown sugar and water in a small sauce pot. Warm up the mixture just enough to melt the sugar, then set aside. Peel the eggs then submerge them in the soy sauce-mixture. Turning them occasionally while marinating for 2~3 hours.
• TO MAKE THE GARLIC AND TOGARASHI OIL: Combine minced shallots, minced garlic, sesame seeds, salt and vegetable oil in a small pot and set over low heat. Slowly cook/stir until the garlics are crispy and lightly browned, approx 5~6 min. Turn off the heat and add the Japanese chili powder/togarashi. Give the mixture a stir and let it sit for a few hours or overnight.
• NOTE: It’s important that you use unsalted, or minimally salted stock for this recipe. I always store homemade, unsalted chicken/pork stock in the freezer as it gives me total control of the seasoning in the final dishes. Whether you are using homemade or store-bought, if your stock already has a prominent saltiness to it, you’ll have to reduce the amount of spicy miso paste to accommodate which will reduce the miso-flavour in your soup. You’d be trading flavours with salt, see? The type of soy milk may also make a difference. I prefer Asian-style unsweetened soy milk which tends to carry a stronger “tofu/soy bean” taste, but if that’s unavailable, American brands soy milk will do, too. Just make sure it isn’t sweetened, or flavoured with vanilla or etc.
• TO MAKE THE SPICY MISO RAMEN: Rinse the dried shitake mushrooms to get rid of any sand/dirt. Finely chop them and set aside (without soaking). In a large soup pot, heat up 1 tbsp of toasted sesame oil on high heat and start browning the fatty ground pork with ground black pepper. Once the pork has broken up, browned, and released its fat, add 1/4 cup of the spicy miso paste and cook for another min until fragrant. Add the chopped shitake, unsalted stock and unsweetened soy milk and bring to a simmer. Place 1/2 cup spicy miso paste on top of a very fine sieve. Lower the sieve half-way into the simmering soup and use a spoon to slowly dissolve the paste into the soup (it may seem very thick and troublesome in the beginning but be patient, it’ll dissolve eventually). You’d be surprised at how much “solids” within the paste will remain on top of the sieve, which if dumped directly into the soup, will make the soup very thick and “sauce-like”.
• Discard the “solids” in the sieve and let the soup simmer for another 5 min. If the soup tastes quite salty at this point, that is correct. It’s Japanese ramen… It is salty. Cook the fresh ramen noodles according to package instructions, and drain well. Divide the noodles into two large bowl and ladle the soup on top (you may have a bit more than needed). For each serving, place 1 shoyu egg (cut into half), 2 tbsp of finely diced scallions, 3 rectangular nori sheets, and 2 tsp of garlic and togarashi oil.
• Slurp away.