Ramen 101

Well, I grew up calling it saimin, which is the Hawaiian name for a dish that combines elements from Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Portuguese cultures. Basically, it's a noodle soup dish, with a vast variety of toppings that make it as varied as, say, pizza! (but less disastrous to the waistline).

The Bowls:
Sure, you COULD serve your ramen in any old bowl, but the traditional bowl makes the recommended arrangement of toppings better laid out, and instead of appearing like a bowl of sloppy stew, is a virtual feast for the eyes, moments before becoming a festival for your tongue! SO WORTH IT!

The Broth:
This recipe is about making this dish from scratch, but know that I certainly don't look down my nose at making this dish from a package of dried ramen (as long as it's Sapporo Ichiban, the only brand I will ever buy!)

Start with stock - vegetable, beef, chicken, actually ANY basic stock works just fine.  I prefer vegetable or beef, and toss in whole anise pods, slices of fresh ginger, and whole peppercorns (tips I learned from Pepper, btw!) This broth makes a great poaching liquid for whole chicken breasts, too, for soba salad, etc.

The Veggies:
Saimin/Ramen is NOTHING without its toppings!  I'm very partial to mostly veggies, so let's start there.

Garlic & Bitter Greens - Sauteed garlic is de rigeur, in my opinion.  Chop into a course dice (too fine and it'll burn and turn bitter).  For the greens, I prefer Broccoli Rabe, stems cut 1/4", leafy sections about 1".  Saute the garlic first, in vegetable or light sesame oil.  When light golden brown, add the greens and saute until just wilted. If you're feeling fancy, sprinkle a little Mirin (sweet rice wine) to help steam the veggies. Divide the garlic and wilted greens between your serving bowls, and push them over against one side. This is an important detail!

Easy variation: Spinach does well, too, and you just add it raw at the end. I'd still saute the garlic, tho. Like I said - de rigeur!

Mushrooms - When I have 'em, I add 'em.  Wash, trim stems, cut into 1/8" slices.  Saute, till lightly browned, but adding raw at the end (another easy variation!) is delicious, too.  Mound to the side of the serving bowls, next to your greens.

The Noodles:
Fresh or dried, doesn't matter. I use dried ramen egg noodles, mostly, I love the random curliness! Occasionally I use flat dried rice noodles, too.
Drop the noodles into the stock, and stir occasionally while they soften.  Cook for only a couple of minutes!! You want to pull them out while still quite firm, as every second they are in the hot broth they are continuing to cook.  Divide the softened noodles to the center of the serving bowls.

Prepare the garnish:
This can be a whole assortment of things - I stick with green onions, always, sliced diagonally (no self respecting Asian would cut them straight!) and sometimes add bamboo shoots, mung beans, etc.  Remember that mention that saimin is a mix of a whole bunch of cultures? Select whatever you want from those, including kim chee, pickled daikon, sliced fishcake.

Bacon Florettes:
My favorite (well, one of...) sayings is that bacon is the perfect single person's meat: it keeps in the 'fridge, it's portioned for easy use, and.... it's DELICIOUS.  I rend a package of bacon each week, rolled into curls and baked at 350 degrees and then each florette is sliced up into dishes all week long!

Sunny Side Up Egg:
If you're going for a Korean version, cook eggs 'sunny side up' in a side pan, and reserve to add to the top of the final assembly.

Final Assembly:
Your serving bowls should now have sauteed garlic/greens/mushrooms pushed to one side of the bowl.  Softened noodles, piled in the center.  Ladle the hot stock into the center (excluding the ginger/anise bits added to lend flavor).  Top with your garnishes, and you're ready to serve!