The Ultimate Comfort Food: Ramen
It was a late Friday night. You met up with that one friend that likes to take you to every new wine bar in the city. You painted the town red, so to speak, and now you awake to a shaky stomach and a headache that could slay a walrus. Don't fret! Grab the worlds most amazing comfort food and you will be back to yourself in no-time.
Traditional Pulled Noodle Ramen
with aromatic broth, fat-streaked beef, grilled shrimp and a soy stained egg.
Recipe:
Servings: 1
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 cups chicken broth
1 small stalk baby bok choy
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or more, to taste
1 cup hand pulled ramen noodles (You can subsitute for dried packaged Ramen noodles with the spice packet removed)
1/4 cup baby spinach
1 pinch of star anise
1 clove
1 teaspood cinnamon
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chili paste
1 carrot, sliced in quarters lengthwise
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 soy stained egg (Hard boil 6 eggs, set aside and let cool. Mix together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chili paste, 2 tablespoons rice-wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Peel the shell off of egg, and place it in the soy sauce mixture in a lidded container and store overnight in the fridge.)
1 thin slice of flank steak
2 shrimp with tail on.
Instructions:
Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, pinch of star anise, and cinnamon and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Whisk in chicken broth, bok choy, soy sauce and 3 cups water.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until Bok choy has softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in noodles until loosened and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
In a small skillet heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and sear both sides of thin cut beef steak, leaving some red in the middle. Remove the beef and use the same pan to sear the shrimp about 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
In the Broth pot, Stir in spinach, carrot and chives until the spinach begins to wilt, about 2 minutes. Salt and pepper broth to taste.
Assemble in a deep bowl, with noodles first, then vegetables around outside rim. Next place the shrimp in, lay a slice of beef on top and pour in broth. Take a very small dollop of chili paste to lay across the top.
Sprinkle top with chopped cilantro
Serve immediately.
A few notes:
You can find hand pulled noodles dried in your grocery stores ethnic foods section. OR if you have a favorite ramen joint that makes their own you can purchase direct from them.
Shrimp, beef, and egg are all traditional proteins for the Ramen soup, but feel free to experiment with any meats or even tofu!
This recipe is for 1 bowl, but easily doubles or triples to make more.
I also like to add a small amount of Kimchi to the Ramen, but its personal choice.
