Chilled Crab and Shrimp Ramen Salad with Chukka-Soba Dressing
Braised Ramen with Pork and Zarsai
Chilled Ramen with Chicken and Banbanji Sauce
Seaweed, Avocado, and Hearts of Palm Noodle Salad
RAMEN is Japan’s ultimate comfort food, the equivalent of a cheeseburger, fried chicken, and deep-dish pizza rolled into one. Chinese immigrants first popularized these hearty wheat noodles, originally from their homeland, in the late nineteenth century. The Japanese quickly adopted them. The first modern ramen shop opened its doors in Japan in 1910, and after that—look out: ramen exploded in popularity, and today there are tens of thousands of ramen shops dotting the country. There are ramen-related books and magazines, the Ramen Explorer TV show, a “Ramen Stadium” featuring top noodles from across the country, and a theme attraction called the “Ramusement Park.” Some ramen shops even have cult followings, patronized by the “ramen otaku”—the ramen obsessed—who find them through a 10,000-plus online Ramen Bank accessible by mobile phone.
So why all this excitement over a bowl of noodles?
When we think of ramen in America, what usually comes to mind are those just-add-water bricks of instant dried noodles, the cheap snack that fueled a thousand college all-nighters. But in Japan, ramen is different.
In high school, my favorite ramen shop was an eight-seat hole-in-the-wall called Kinrukan—and I couldn’t get enough of it. I must have eaten there at least five times a week, especially after baseball practice. The place was always packed. A handwritten paper stuck to the wall announced the menu. Smoke poured out of the kitchen in the back—ventilation was iffy—but that aroma made me even more ravenous. Kinrukan specialized in classic “Tokyo-style” ramen, where noodles are served in a soy sauce–flavored chicken stock and finished with slices of barbecued pork, marinated bamboo shoots, sliced fish cake, and sliced hard-boiled eggs. I can still picture that steaming bowl of noodles with its deeply satisfying broth and heavenly soy sauce fragrance. Thirty years later, it’s still seared in my memory, a taste I’ll never forget. Deftly prepared, these down-home noodles embody everything that Japanese cuisine is about: a sublime combination that is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Ramen is a dish you typically go out to enjoy rather than make yourself. The different regions of Japan are intensely proud of their local recipes, from the rich, miso-based ramen of the far north to the hearty pork-stock variety famous in the country’s south. I love all styles, and enjoy them the way Japanese typically do—as a filling lunch or a midnight snack after a night out with friends. When I was a college student in Tokyo, I was hard-pressed to find an open seat at my favorite ramen shop at 2 A.M.!
When I moved to Chicago some twenty years ago, though, I had a problem: a good bowl of ramen was impossible to find. But I couldn’t live without my beloved noodles. So, being a chef, I naturally started to cook them at home—and I realized how easy it is to prepare delicious, authentic ramen yourself. I know you’ll agree when you try my recipes in this chapter. In addition to the traditional broth-based preparations, I’m including a number of terrific stir-fried and cold ramen dishes that I make for my family, which are perfect for quick summer meals.
This is the basic and versatile chicken stock I use for my ramen recipes, and it is flavored with Japanese ingredients. You can prepare a big batch and store any extra in the freezer.
Makes 4 quarts
4 quarts water
4 pounds chicken bones
1¾ cups peeled and chopped carrots
1½ cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped leek, white part only
¼ green cabbage
½ head garlic, halved horizontally
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, smashed
1 piece kombu, wiped with a damp cloth
½ cup sake
Combine the water and chicken bones in a large, 10-quart stockpot. Set it over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Skim the surface well to remove any impurities.
Add the carrots, celery, negi, cabbage, garlic, ginger, kombu, and sake. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Add more water as needed to keep the liquid at the same level.
Strain the stock well through a fine-mesh sieve.
Use this base for Shio Ramen and other recipes. You want this broth to be light colored, which is why I use “white” soy sauce, an almost clear liquid, rather than typical caramel-hued soy sauce.
Makes 5 cups
1 piece kombu, wiped with a damp cloth
1 cup shirojoyu (white soy sauce)
4 cups water
¾ cup kosher or sea salt
1½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
To make shio broth, combine 2 cups Ramen Chicken Stock with 3 ounces (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) shio base.
This is the base for Shoyu Ramen and other ramen recipes in this section.
Makes 4½ cups
1 piece kombu, wiped with a damp cloth
1½ cups shirojoyu (white soy sauce)
2 cups water
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 cup Japanese soy sauce
1½ cups katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.
To make shoyu broth, combine 2 cups Ramen Chicken Stock with 3 ounces (¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) shoyu base.
I still remember the first time I tasted these crispy, Chinese-style noodles, on a high school trip to the southern Japanese port city of Nagasaki. This ramen dish is a hallmark of that part of the country, especially when combined with seafood—the seafood in Nagasaki is unbelievably good. This area is also geographically close to China and Korea, and is influenced by their cultures. Nagasaki, in fact, has the oldest Chinatown in Japan, established in the 1600s. You can try other seafood combinations in this recipe, too. Fish also works great with fried ramen noodles.
Serves 4
¼ cup dried wood ear mushrooms
1 cup hot water
¼ cup sesame oil
8 shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on
4 pieces squid, cleaned and cut into ¼-inch-thick rings
20 bay scallops (about 4 ounces)
16 pea pods, stemmed
4 cups chopped napa cabbage
1 cup stemmed enoki mushrooms
½ cup sliced canned water chestnuts
½ cup peeled and thinly sliced carrots
1 cup chopped baby bok choy
¼ cup Shio Base
2 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup Japanese soy sauce
4 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Dash of hot chili oil
Pinch of ground pepper
6 ounces age-men (ready-made fried ramen noodles, available in Asian food stores)
4 teaspoons hot mustard
In a small bowl, cover the wood ear mushrooms with the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain the liquid and thinly slice the mushrooms. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil in a very large sauté pan or wide pot placed over high heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute, then add the squid and scallops. Cook for an additional minute, or until all the seafood is seared on each side but not necessarily cooked through. Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sesame oil to the same pan and return it to high heat. Add the pea pods, napa cabbage, enoki and wood ear mushrooms, water chestnuts, carrots, and bok choy. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Meanwhile, combine the Shio Base and chicken stock in a small pot over high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then add it to the sautéed vegetables. Add in the seafood, followed by the vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar.
In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water. Add it to the boiling liquid and cook for an additional minute. Season to taste with the chili oil and ground pepper.
Divide the fried noodles among 4 plates and place 1 teaspoon of hot mustard on the side of each plate. Top the noodles with one-fourth of the seafood and vegetable mixture. Mix well before eating.
Chilled Crab and Shrimp Ramen Salad with Chukka-Soba Dressing
When these noodles appear on restaurant menus in Japan, it heralds just one thing: the arrival of summer. This ramen is a classic warm-weather dish, popular from June until September. Chukka means “Chinese,” a reference to the origins of ramen noodles. And it’s not just a restaurant dish—when I was growing up, my mother loved to prepare this for our family.
Serves 4
CHUKKA-SOBA DRESSING
¼ cup Japanese soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sake
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon grated ginger
¼ cup sugar
Dash of hot chili oil
EGG OMELET
2 eggs
1 tablespoon half-and-half
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon Japanese soy sauce
Pinch of kosher salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
SHRIMP
8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails off
8 (3-inch) bamboo skewers
2 tablespoons kosher salt
ASSEMBLY
2 tablespoons dried wakame
1 cup hot water
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
2 ounces crabmeat
2 cups iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced
12 grape tomatoes, halved
½ cup thinly sliced ham
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber sticks
½ cup thinly sliced carrot sticks
¼ cup thinly sliced pickled ginger
Pinch of black sesame seeds
½ cup shredded nori
To make the dressing, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
To make the omelet, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, sugar, soy sauce, and salt together in a bowl. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour ½ teaspoon of the vegetable oil into the pan and coat evenly using a paper towel; discard the excess oil. Once the oil is hot, pour half the egg mixture into the pan in a thin layer and cook until almost dry, about 2 minutes, then flip with a flat-bottomed spatula and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set on a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture and oil to make the second omelet. Once cool, thinly slice the omelets. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
To prepare the shrimp, butterfly the shrimp as follows: With a paring knife, make a cut along the underside of the shrimp, being careful not to cut through them entirely (the shrimp should lie flat but still remain in one piece). Press down lightly on the shrimp so they lie flat, then thread one shrimp onto each skewer.
Add the salt to a large pot of water and bring to a simmer. While the water is simmering, prepare an ice bath. Add the shrimp to the simmering water and cook until they are cooked through, about 90 seconds (they turn pink and are no longer translucent). Transfer the shrimp to the ice bath. Once they’re cool, drain, pat dry, and season with a pinch of salt.
To assemble the dish, in a bowl, cover the wakame with the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Prepare an ice bath and place a large pot of water over high heat to bring to boil. Add the noodles and cook following the package instructions. Remove the noodles from the water and submerge in the ice bath. Drain well.
Divide the noodles among 4 plates and top each with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Place one-fourth each of the crabmeat, lettuce, tomatoes, ham, cucumber, carrots, shrimp, omelet, and wakame in small piles on the noodles to form a circle. Sprinkle the pickled ginger over the salad, then drizzle another 2 tablespoons of dressing over the top. Garnish with the black sesame seeds and shredded nori.
When I was the chef of Tribute, in Farmington Hills, Michigan, I was always hungry by the time my restaurant closed. (Little known fact: chefs never have time to eat!) So I’d usually stop by a local Chinese place on the way home, which is where I discovered this delicious dish. The chef there introduced me to cooking with zarsai, which are salty and pungent Chinese pickles, usually radishes or a kind of bok choy. Eaten on their own, they make you thirst for a beer, but cooked, they mellow and add great flavor to a dish. I love serving these noodles in a clay pot, or donabe. It gives it a warm and comforting touch, especially in wintertime.
Serves 2
MARINATED PORK
1 cup thinly sliced pork loin
1 tablespoon sake
1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
2 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
3 fluid ounces Shoyu Base
ASSEMBLY
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
⅓ cup thinly sliced bamboo shoots
½ cup thinly sliced green bell pepper
½ cup zarsai (Chinese pickled vegetables)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
2 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
½ cup thinly sliced scallions, white part only
Hot chili oil
To make the pork, combine the pork, sake, and soy sauce in a bowl and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
To make the broth, combine the chicken stock and Shoyu Base in a saucepan over light heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm.
To prepare the dish, place a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and garlic. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden, about 30 seconds, then mix in the marinated pork and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in the bamboo shoots, bell pepper, and zarsai and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the vegetables become soft. Pour the broth into the pan and bring the liquid to a boil.
In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Add the mixture to the broth and decrease the heat to low. Simmer the broth for 1 minute, or until it thickens slightly. Turn off the heat and set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook the ramen noodles for just 30 seconds, or until the noodles become loose but are not completely cooked through. Drain the noodles and divide them between 2 donabe, and place the donabe on the stove top. Pour half the broth into each donabe and turn the heat to medium-high. Top each with half the pork and vegetables. Once the liquid comes to a boil, garnish each with half the scallions and a dash of chili oil. Cover the donabe and turn off the heat. Carefully set them on plates and serve hot.
Banbanji is a Chinese-inspired spicy sesame sauce that pairs wonderfully with chilled ramen noodles, a perfect summertime dish. Instead of grilling the chicken in this recipe, which is typical for cold dishes, you sear the skin side, then steam in sake. This results in crispy skin but incredibly moist chicken with a hint of sake flavor. With this technique, the chicken will always remain juicy and tender, even after you cool it. You can store the banbanji sauce in your refrigerator or freezer and use it over and over.
Serves 4
SAKE-STEAMED CHICKEN
1 boneless chicken breast with skin, cleaned and trimmed
1 boneless chicken thigh with skin, cleaned and trimmed
Pinch each of kosher salt and pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ cup sake
BANBANJI SAUCE
¼ cup tahini (sesame paste)
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
2 teaspoons tobanjan (Chinese chili paste)
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
4 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon sake
Dash of hot chili oil
1 scallion, both white and green parts, minced
ASSEMBLY
¼ cup thinly sliced scallion, both white and green parts
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
1 cup thinly sliced cucumber sticks (2 inches long by ¼ inch wide)
¾ cup Chukka-Soba Dressing, chilled
To cook the chicken, begin by seasoning both sides of the breast and thigh with salt and pepper. Pour the oil into a pot (the pot should be just large enough for the chicken to lie flat on the bottom without a lot of extra room) and set it over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the chicken skin side down. Cook the chicken until the skin turns golden brown and the meat is halfway cooked through, about 6 minutes. Turn the chicken over in the pan and drain the excess oil. Add the sake and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and let the chicken cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit in the pot for a few minutes to finish cooking. Transfer the chicken to a plate and refrigerate until cool.
While the chicken is cooling, make the banbanji sauce. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients; mix well. Set aside.
To assemble the dish, soak the scallion slices in cold water for 10 minutes, then drain well. Once the chicken has cooled, slice it into ¼-inch-thick pieces.
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Cook the noodles, following package instructions. Drain and rinse well under cold running water.
Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top each bowl of noodles with one-quarter of the chicken and cucumber, then drizzle 3 tablespoons of the Chukka-Soba Dressing over each bowl followed by 1½ tablespoons of the banbanji sauce. Garnish with the scallions.
This ramen is a wintertime standard in Japan, and no wonder: it hails from the city of Sapporo in the far northern island of Hokkaido (home of the eponymous beer), a part of the country that’s very frigid and snowy in the winter. The hearty pork and miso-flavored broth in this dish is the perfect warm-up for even the chilliest day. Miso ramen is a relative newcomer to the noodle scene, becoming popular only since the mid-sixties. But corn, a surprising ingredient for a Japanese dish, has been grown in Hokkaido since the nineteenth century.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ cup minced onion
2 tablespoons grated ginger
¼ cup minced garlic
1 cup ground pork (about 8 ounces)
½ cup shiro miso (white miso)
¼ cup ada miso (red miso)
¼ cup ground sesame seeds
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon tobanjan (Chinese chili paste)
3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
MISO RAMEN
8 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 cups bean sprouts
⅔ cup garlic chives, cut into 1-inch lengths
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
½ cup drained canned sweet corn
4 teaspoons ground sesame seeds
Pinch of sansho pepper (Japanese pepper seedpods)
2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
To make the miso base, combine the sesame oil, onion, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes, or until the ingredients are soft and fragrant. Mix in the ground pork and increase the heat to medium. Cook for an additional 6 to 7 minutes, or until the pork is completely cooked through.
Stir in both misos, the sesame seeds, hoisin sauce, tobanjan, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and set aside. Leftover miso base will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.
To make the ramen, combine the ramen chicken stock and 1¾ cups of the miso base in a pot set over high heat to make the miso broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm. Place another large pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large, wide-bottomed pot over high heat. Add the bean sprouts and garlic chives and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Add the miso broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
Add the ramen noodles to the boiling water and cook, following package instructions. Drain well and divide among 4 bowls. Top each with one-fourth of the broth and vegetables. Garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons of the corn kernels, 1 teaspoon of the ground sesame seeds, the sansho pepper, and one-fourth of the sliced scallions. Serve hot.
My love affair with mushrooms started when I was a kid, when I would go wild-mushroom hunting with my father in the forests that surrounded my hometown of Mito. I still love their earthy, nutty taste, and the different textures found in different varieties. In fact, when you dine at my restaurant, you’ll see I use them in everything from appetizers to main courses. Mushroom ramen isn’t a dish you’ll typically see in a Japanese ramen shop, but I think the two ingredients work perfectly, especially accented with shungiku, which are tangy chrysanthemum leaves.
Serves 4
8 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
1½ cups Shio Base
MUSHROOM RAMEN
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 cup peeled and thinly sliced gobo (burdock root; can substitute with salsify)
1 cup drained canned straw mushrooms
10 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
2 cups trimmed shimeji mushrooms
1 cup stemmed enoki mushrooms
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 ⅓ cups small tofu cubes (about 7 ounces, cut into ½ inch squares)
½ cup chopped scallions, both white and green parts
20 sprigs shungiku, cut into thirds
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup cold water
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
4 teaspoons garlic chips
To make the broth, combine the chicken stock and Shio Base in a pot placed over high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm.
To make the ramen, in a very large sauté pan or wide-bottomed pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the gobo and cook until caramelized on all sides, about 3 minutes. Add all the mushrooms and the garlic and increase the heat to high. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring often, then add the shio broth and tofu.
Once the liquid comes to a boil, add the scallions and shungiku. Cook for 1 minute. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and cold water and add to the boiling broth. Cook for 1 minute longer, then decrease the heat to low.
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook, following package instructions. Drain well and divide among 4 bowls. Top each with the one-fourth of the broth and vegetables, and garnish with 1 teaspoon of the garlic chips.
Call this my Japanese-inspired take on cobb salad, except that it’s all vegetarian. It’s a perfect dish for summertime eating. I love sweet and crispy hearts of palm, which are native to Latin America. Try to buy them fresh, if possible, but canned works fine, too. The umeboshi-yuzu vinaigrette lends the vegetables an irresistible tangy and citrusy flavor. Ramen noodles served chilled are springy, chewy, and absolutely delicious.
Serves 4
UMEBOSHI-YUZU VINAIGRETTE
¼ cup Japanese soy sauce
¼ cup yuzu juice (can substitute with lemon juice)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 umeboshi (pickled Japanese apricots), pitted and chopped
¼ cup sake
1 tablespoon sesame oil
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon grated ginger
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of hot chili oil
1½ tablespoons dried wakame
1 cup hot water
½ English cucumber
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
2 cups diced romaine lettuce
12 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 avocado, cored and sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces
½ cup thinly sliced carrots
2 pieces hearts of palm, sliced into ¼-inch-thick pieces on an angle (about 16 pieces)
4 obha leaves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons sesame seeds
To make the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
To make the salad, in a small bowl, cover the wakame with the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Prepare the English cucumber by peeling the skin to resemble stripes, then cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Slice the cucumber halves into ¼-inch-thick pieces on an angle.
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, following package instructions. Rinse under cold running water until the noodles are chilled. Drain well and divide among 4 plates.
To assemble the salad, top each pile of noodles with the lettuce, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, avocado, carrots, hearts of palm, and wakame. Garnish with the obha leaves and sesame seeds, then drizzle the dressing over each plate.
Like Miso Ramen, Shio Ramen hails from the northern Japanese city of Sapporo, and is a perfect antidote to a frigid winter day. Shio means “salt” in Japanese, and indeed, the clear broth has an appealing sea-salt flavor. These noodles are a relatively late addition to the ramen lineup, but they’re now popular across Japan. This is the classic recipe, which is loaded with fresh vegetables.
Serves 4
8 pea pods, trimmed
1 tablespoon dried wakame
1 cup hot water
8 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
1½ cups Shio Base
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ground pork
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon tobanjan (Chinese chili paste)
½ cup sliced onion
½ cup peeled and thinly sliced carrots (sliced on an angle)
8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ green cabbage, cored and cut into bite-size pieces
4 cups bean sprouts, rinsed well
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
1 tablespoon ground sesame seeds
2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
Dash of hot chili oil
Prepare an ice bath and place a large pot of water over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add the pea pods and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pea pods from the water and submerge in the ice bath. Once cool, drain the pea pods and cut in half. Set aside. Keep the boiling water to cook the noodles in later.
In a bowl, cover the wakame with the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
Combine the chicken stock and Shio Base in a pot and place over high heat to make the shio broth. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a very large sauté pan or wide-bottomed pot over high heat. Once hot, add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly, but be careful not to let the garlic burn. Mix in the ground pork and cook for 2 minutes. Add the hoisin sauce and tobanjan and continue cooking, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to break up the pork into small pieces. Cook for 5 minutes, then remove the pork from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the pan and return it to high heat. Add the onions, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage, and pea pods. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Mix in the bean sprouts and reserved pork. Cook for 1 minute, then pour the heated shio broth into the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
Cook the ramen noodles in the reserved boiling water according to package instructions. Drain well and divide among 4 bowls. Top each bowl with one-fourth of the broth, vegetables, and pork, and garnish with the ground sesame seeds, reserved wakame, scallions, and hot chili oil to taste.
In this hearty ramen, stir-fried vegetables are combined with seafood and pork to create a rich, filling dish with lots of flavors and textures. When I was growing up, this was one of my favorite foods after baseball practice—the noodles refueled me quickly, and deliciously, and helped me stave off hunger until dinnertime. These days, it’s the perfect antidote to a gray, frigid winter day.
Serves 4
¼ cup dried wood ear mushrooms
1 cup hot water
8 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
1½ cups Shio Base
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
8 shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails off
2 pieces squid (tubes), cleaned and sliced into ¼-inch-thick rings
16 bay scallops, trimmed
½ cup thinly sliced pork belly (optional)
⅔ cup quartered sweet baby corn
3 cups chopped napa cabbage
8 shiitake mushrooms, ends trimmed and cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ cup peeled and sliced carrots
16 pea pods, trimmed
3 cups bean sprouts
¼ cup cornstarch
¼ cup cold water
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
Dash of hot chili oil
In a bowl, cover the wood ear mushrooms with the hot water. Let sit for 10 minutes to rehydrate, then drain and trim off any tough parts. Set aside.
Combine the chicken stock and Shio Base in a pot placed over high heat to make the shio broth. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm until ready to use. Also, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a very large sauté pan or wide pot over high heat until the oil just begins to smoke. Add the shrimp and cook for 1 minute, stirring often, then add the squid, scallops, and pork belly and cook for 2 minutes longer, or until everything is cooked through. Remove all the seafood and pork to a plate and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil along with the wood ear mushrooms, baby corn, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, and pea pods. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, then add the bean sprouts and cook for 30 seconds longer.
Add the shio broth to the pan and bring to a boil, about 1 minute. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with the cold water, then stir into the boiling liquid. Turn off the heat.
Add the ramen noodles to the boiling water and cook, following the package instructions. Drain well and divide among 4 bowls. Top each bowl of noodles with 2¼ cups broth and one-fourth of the vegetables and seafood. Garnish with the scallions, and add the hot chili oil to taste.
This is Japan’s classic ramen, the one I crave most when I want to go back to the basics. Also known as “Tokyo-style” ramen, it’s the way ramen was originally prepared after it was adopted from Chinese cooking. Native to, yes, Tokyo, it’s always served with the same venerable toppings, which I include in the recipe below.
Serves 4
2 eggs
1 tablespoon kosher salt
4 cups pork belly braising liquid (see recipe for Braised Pork Belly)
8 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
1½ cups Shoyu Base
2 packed cups spinach
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
4 ounces (about 8 slices) Braised Pork Belly
½ cup menma (marinated bamboo shoots)
8 thin slices naruto (fish cake)
1 scallion, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
1 large sheet nori, cut into quarters, or 4 small sheets
Place the eggs in a small pot with the salt. Add enough cold water to cover the eggs, then set the pot over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let sit for 12 minutes. Drain the eggs and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Remove the shells from the eggs and discard.
Place the peeled eggs in a small pot and cover with the pork belly braising liquid. Bring the liquid just to a boil, then turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot liquid until ready to use. If possible, let the eggs sit in the braising liquid overnight.
Combine the chicken stock and Shoyu Base in a pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover to keep warm.
Prepare an ice bath and place a large pot of water over high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add the spinach to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Remove the spinach from the water (keep the pot of water) and submerge in the ice bath. Once cool, drain the spinach by squeezing to remove excess moisture. Set aside.
Return the water to a boil and add the ramen noodles. Cook, following package instructions, then drain well.
Remove the eggs from the pork belly braising liquid and cut each in half. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls. Top each with 2¼ cups broth, and then arrange in a circle over the noodles one-fourth each of the spinach, egg, pork belly, menma, and naruto, with the scallions in the center. Garnish each bowl with a sheet of nori.
This is a simple recipe that combines wonderful, distinct flavors. Japanese black vinegar, also referred to as aged rice vinegar, is an artisanal product naturally brewed from rice with a complexity akin to a fine balsamic vinegar. The hot oil adds terrific flavor and great aroma, a perfect accent to this dish—but be very careful heating the oil.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons sunchang kochujang (Korean miso sauce)
2 tablespoons nam pla (fish sauce)
¼ cup kurosu (aged rice vinegar; or substitute with balsamic vinegar)
2 tablespoons lime juice
ASSEMBLY
4 cups bean sprouts
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
1 cup thinly sliced scallions, both white and green parts
16 sprigs cilantro
2 tablespoons thinly sliced ginger
½ cup dried sakura ebi (Japanese shrimp)
2 tablespoons chili threads (available in Japanese and Asian stores)
4 teaspoons spicy mustard (Asian hot mustard)
SPICY OIL
6 tablespoons sesame oil
1½ teaspoons hot chili oil
To make the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
To assemble the dish, bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the bean sprouts and cook for 10 seconds. Remove the sprouts from the water (but keep the pot of hot water) and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Return the water to a boil, add the noodles, and cook, following package instructions. Rinse the noodles under cold running water until they are cool, then drain well. Divide the noodles among 4 plates, arranging the noodles in a tall, compact pile.
Top each plate of noodles with one-fourth of the bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, ginger, sakura ebi, and chili threads. Add 1 teaspoon spicy mustard on the side of each plate and pour 2 tablespoons of the sauce over the top of the noodles.
To make the oil, combine the sesame oil and hot chili oil in a small bowl. Heat a sauté pan over high heat until very hot, then add the oil mixture, which will make “popping” sounds. Be careful not to get splattered by the hot oil. Remove the pan from the heat once the popping subsides and top each plate with 2 teaspoons of the oil, again being very careful. Mix well before eating.
Spice alert: this ramen is guaranteed to make you sweat. These snappy noodles are very popular in Japan, even in the summer—some people, I guess, don’t find our sultry and humid hot season sticky enough! I, for one, prefer this ramen in the winter, because its rich pork and miso broth is warm and comforting.
Serves 4
2 teaspoons tobanjan (Chinese chili paste)
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
4 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
2 cups Miso Base
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced garlic
12 ounces ground pork
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
2 pieces baby bok choy, halved
2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
Mix together the tobanjan, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl and set aside.
Combine the chicken stock and Miso Base in a pot placed over high heat to make the miso broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm. In addition, place another large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
Heat the sesame oil in a large sauté pan placed over high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 10 seconds, then mix in the ground pork. After 1 minute, add the reserved sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly to break up the pork, for 2 minutes longer, or until the pork is cooked through. Set aside.
Add the noodles and bok choy to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute. Drain the liquid and set aside the bok choy. Divide the noodles among 4 bowls and top each with 2 cups of miso broth. Divide the pork among the bowls and garnish each with the bok choy and scallions.
This is a classic ramen dish that was one of my favorites when I was growing up, but today it’s not as popular as it used to be in Japan. That’s a shame, because there’s so much to love about this dish, especially the play between the sweetness of the crab and the crunchiness of the water chestnuts, and the dramatic presentation of a big chunk of omelet sitting atop the noodles. This dish is finished with two kinds of broth, one to serve as the soup, the other to add a bit of sheen as a glaze. I hope you love this ramen as much as I do.
Serves 4
5½ cups Ramen Chicken Stock
1 cup Shoyu Base
SHOYU GLAZE
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
OMELETS
10 eggs
12 ounces crabs legs, removed from the shell and roughly shredded (can substitute imitation crabmeat)
¼ cup garlic chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
½ cup spring peas (fresh or frozen)
½ cup diced water chestnuts
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
Pinch each of salt and pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
To make the broth, combine the chicken stock and Shoyu Base in a pot and place over high heat. Bring just to a boil, then decrease the heat to low and cover to keep warm. Place another large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil.
To make the glaze, pour 1 cup of the shoyu broth into a small pot over high heat, and bring it to a boil. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water and stir it into the boiling broth. Decrease the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes, then decrease the heat to low and cover to keep warm.
To prepare the omelets, beat the eggs in a large bowl. Mix in the crab, garlic chives, green peas, water chestnuts, soy sauce, and ½ cup of the shoyu broth, and season with the salt and pepper.
Place a 9-inch nonstick sauté pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, pour in one-fourth of the egg mixture. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat, lightly stirring the center of the omelet with a large spoon, until most of the liquid has solidified. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 minute longer, then place a plate over the top of the pan, and flip the pan over in one fluid motion to invert the omelet onto the plate. Gently slide the omelet back into the pan with the cooked side up. Cook for 1 minute longer over low heat, then slide the omelet from the pan onto a plate. The omelet should be thick and golden brown on one side. Repeat with the remaining oil and egg mixture to make 3 more omelets.
Cook the noodles in the boiling water, following package instructions. Drain well and divide among 4 bowls. Top each with an omelet, 1¼ cups shoyu broth, and ¼ cup shoyu glaze. Serve hot.
Tsukumen means, literally, “dipping ramen,” and it’s a dish that’s taken Japan by storm. When I was growing up, we didn’t eat ramen this way, but now you can find this dish offered in shops across the country. It’s not hard to understand why—eating ramen in this deconstructed way gives you a chance to enjoy the noodle and each of the garnishes on its own, dipped in the flavorful broth. This dish is also a delicious play between cold ramen and hot broth. Think of it as noodle nouvelle cuisine! Naruto has a signature spiral swirl, and interestingly enough, it’s an ingredient used almost exclusively for ramen (and on rare occasions, udon).
Serves 4
BROTH
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Shoyu Base
4 cups Ramen Chicken Stock
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
RAMEN
4 (7-ounce) pieces frozen ramen noodles
2 tablespoons dried wakame
2 cups hot water
8 pieces Braised Pork Belly
½ cup sliced scallions, both white and green parts
8 slices naruto (fish cake)
½ cup menma (marinated bamboo shoots)
To make the broth, combine all the ingredients in a pot and place over high heat. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm.
To make the ramen, place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, following package instructions. Rinse the noodles well under cold running water until they are chilled. Drain and divide among 4 plates.
In a small bowl, cover the wakame with the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well.
To serve, arrange small piles of the wakame, pork belly, scallions, naruto, and bamboo shoots in a circle on top of the noodles. Divide the hot broth among 4 small bowls and serve on the side. Dip the noodles and garnishes into the broth to eat.
Yakisoba is an extremely popular casual dish in Japan, especially with kids. During the country’s annual summer festivals you can always find yakisoba stands crowded next to shrines and temples, ready to feed hungry visitors. Traditionally, this dish is prepared with pork loin or pork belly, but I think it tastes really wonderful with beef. Also, I prefer to use dried ramen noodles rather than frozen because they stay al dente when added to the stir-fry.
Serves 4
2 (3-ounce) pieces dried ramen noodles
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 ounces thinly sliced beef rib eye
1 cup thinly sliced onions
½ cup peeled and thinly sliced carrots
8 shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
½ cup stemmed enoki mushrooms
4 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle
¼ cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
4 cups bean sprouts
½ cup tonkatsu sauce (semisweet)
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Japanese soy sauce
2 tablespoons beni shoga (red pickled ginger)
2 tablespoons finely shaved katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook, following package instructions. Rinse under cold running water. Once chilled, drain well and set aside.
While the noodles are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan placed over high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, stir in the beef and cook for 1 minute, stirring often. Remove the beef from the pan and place it on a plate. Set aside.
Return the pan with the oil still in it to high heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add the onions, carrots, both mushrooms, scallions, and cabbage. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables just begin to soften. Add the bean sprouts, cooked noodles, and beef, and cook for 1 minute longer, until all the ingredients are heated through.
Stir in the tonkatsu sauce, ketchup, and soy sauce. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes for the sauce to thicken, stirring often. Remove the pan from the heat and divide the noodles, vegetables, and beef among 4 plates. Garnish each one with the beni shoga and bonito flakes.
