Chilled Ramen in Chinese Almond Milk Slush, Served with Grilled Pork Belly
If you ask me now, like right this moment, months after I’ve written this recipe, which one particular dish from this cookbook I would like to eat, it’s still this one. Maybe it’s my lifelong infatuation with the distinctly floral fragrance of Chinese almond milk (see the Chinese Southern Almond (Apricot Kernel) Milk recipe for the discussion of its true nature); or maybe it’s the surprise at how brilliantly it performs as a savory element when it’s usually underutilized in desserts only; or maybe it’s because the ramen noodles contract in this ice bath of intensely seasoned nut milk and toasted sesame oil into strings of chewy, bouncy, textural delight; or maybe it’s because all these refreshingly arctic sensations are further brought into focus by pairing them with the sizzling, greasy, caramelized wonder of grilled pork belly on a stick. All of the above, perhaps?
MAKES 1 SERVING
GRILLED PORK BELLY
1 slice skinless pork belly, about 4 × 2 × ½ inches (10 × 5 × 1.5 cm)
1 tablespoon juice from Pickled Chilies or other chile pickling juice
¼ teaspoon sea salt
RAMEN
1¼ cups (300 mL) Chinese Southern Almond (Apricot Kernel) Milk
1½ tablespoons Ramen Seasoning
1 portion My All-Purpose Ramen Noodles
1 tablespoon juice from Pickled Chilies or juice from a jar of pickled jalapeños
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives or scallions
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
Ground white pepper to taste
1. Marinate the pork belly in the pickling juice and sea salt for 2 hours, or up to 6 hours in the fridge, flipping occasionally.
2. Thirty minutes before serving, in the serving bowl, mix and chill the almond milk and Ramen Seasoning. Freeze until the top surface is frozen.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Place the noodles into the water and gently separate each strand with chopsticks to prevent clumping up. If the ramen was frozen, allow 30 seconds or so in the hot water for it to loosen before separating. When the water comes back to a boil, cook for 3 minutes (do not estimate—time it), then transfer the ramen to the ice-water bath to cool completely. We are cooking the noodles much longer here than in recipes with hot soup, because otherwise the noodles would be too rubbery in the icy sauce.
4. Meanwhile, either in a skillet over medium heat or on a grill, cook the pork belly until evenly caramelized on both sides. You want to finish cooking the pork belly right before serving, so that you get the contrast of the hot meat and cold noodles.
5. Remove the almond milk from the freezer and crack the frozen surface into small icebergs. Drain the noodles and place them inside the almond milk slushy. Drizzle in the chile pickling juice, crack the Onsen Egg inside, and top with the chives, sesame oil, and a dash of white pepper. Serve immediately with the grilled pork.
ONSEN EGG
Onsen egg, aka hot spring egg, aka sous-vide egg, is an egg that is cooked at a constant low temperature until its entirety has reached an ethereal state between liquid and solid. When the shell is cracked open, the entire egg slides out intact, with a texture that’s half Jell-O, half lava. It’s like an oval jewel—shiny and elegant, with the yellow yolk glowing through the translucent egg white. There is no more sophisticated way for an egg to go down.
1. Let your egg(s) come to room temperature. Fill a bowl with cold water and set aside.
2. Fill a cast-iron pot (which retains heat better) with water (the amount of water must be at least four to five times the volume of the eggs you’re cooking) and insert a cooking thermometer into the pot. Bring the temperature of the water to 167°F/75°C, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting your stove can manage (a whiff of flame only; use a flame tamer if necessary). Carefully lower the eggs into the water, which will lower the temperature of the water to approximately 158°F/70°C. The second you lower the eggs into the water, set the timer for 22 minutes.
3. Now you must maintain the temperature of the water at 158°F/70°C for the entire duration (fluctuation by a couple of degrees is acceptable), gently stirring the water to ensure evenness. If the temperature drops, turn up the flame ever so slightly, and if it increases, add some cold water to bring it down (you’ll get the hang of it quickly).
4. When the timer goes off, immediately transfer the egg(s) into the cold water bowl and let sit until completely cooled down. You can refrigerate the eggs for up to 4 days until needed and bring them back to a warmer temperature by submerging them in hot tap water for a few minutes.