Bacon-&-Egg

ramen

in Buttery Broth

HANDS-ON TIME

20 MIN

TOTAL TIME

40 MIN

Serves 4

Whenever I see instant ramen at the store, I think about the meals I ate when I first moved to New York . . . and Grandma Barbara. When I was growing up, she’d break the noodles into a bowl of water, crack an egg on top, and microwave the whole thing. Showered with thinly sliced scallions (or green onions, as she’d call them), it was one of the most satisfying meals of my childhood.

Another time Grandma pan-fried finely crushed ramen noodles in bacon fat until richly browned and then simmered them in chicken broth until the mixture resembled thick porridge. It might not sound beautiful, but it sure was tasty, especially with some sliced radishes and chopped tomatoes on top.

My bacon-and-egg ramen was inspired by my grandma’s brilliance. I simmer bacon in water to make a fast, full-flavored ramen broth and then finish the whole thing with poached eggs, thinly sliced mushrooms, and scallions.

• 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 (4-ounce) piece slab bacon
• 3 (3-ounce) packages chicken-flavored ramen with their seasoning packets
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek or other Asian chile paste, plus more for serving
• 4 large eggs
• Thinly sliced button mushrooms, for serving
• Thinly sliced scallions, for serving

In a large saucepan, combine the broth, bacon, ramen seasoning packets, and 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the bacon is tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a work surface and cut it into ¼-inch-thick slices.

Break the ramen noodles in half and add them to the saucepan along with the butter and sambal oelek. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the noodles just start to soften, about 1 minute. One at a time, crack the eggs into a small bowl and very carefully slide them on top of the noodles. Let them poach, undisturbed, until the whites are just firm but the yolks are runny, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the noodles, eggs, and bacon to four bowls and ladle the broth on top. Top the ramen with thinly sliced mushrooms and scallions. Serve hot, passing additional sambal oelek at the table.