Scorched Scallions and Green Beans Ramen
This started out as a very different NYT Cooking recipe. I have loved Ramen for a long time. This is about the most complicated one I make but its very good. Oh yeah and i made a terrible mistake the first time I did it, I substituted Pho noodles creating a big but still tasty mess! Stick to Ramen noodles for best results.
Ingredients:
1 lbs ramen noodles
2 bunches scallions (10 to 12 scallions), white and green parts separated and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 to 3 Tbs neutral oil, such as grapeseed, vegetable or canola
1 lbs green beans, trimmed and halved diagonally
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 Tbs of minced or 1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and julienned
1 can bamboo shoots
32 oz chicken broth
1/4 cup good soy sauce
1/4 cup Mirin
6 dried Shiitake Mushrooms
3 Tbs White or Red Miso
Kosher Salt and White pepper
2 tsp of toasted sesame seed oil
2-3 Tbs Thai Sweet Chili sauce
5 eggs, soft/medium boiled, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
store-bought Shichimi togarashi or Sichuan chili oil (if desired)
Instructions:
- Prepare the eggs. Allow eggs to rise to room temp. Bring enough water to cover the eggs completely to a rolling boil. Gently. place eggs into the boiling water and set timer for 6 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove eggs to an ice bath to stop them cooking. Allow them to cool completely in ice bath. Peel and set aside. If you prefer that authentic “Ramen Egg” flavor and color you should allow the eggs to sit overnight in a bowl of Dashi sauce in the refrigerator. Dashi sauce is a Japanese stable. For me, just the correctly prepared egg in he ramen is enough.
- Prepare the noodles: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the ramen and cook according to package instructions, about 3 minutes, until the noodles are just tender. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain well again. Set aside.
- Slice the white parts of your scallions lengthwise, in half or quarters, depending on thickness, to make cooking faster.
- Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a sauce pan. Add Shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce and Miirin. Simmer until mushrooms soften. Remove from heat, allow to cool and finely slice mushrooms. Return mushrooms to sauce and reduce heat under pan.
- Heat a wok or large (12-inch), deep skillet on high. When smoking hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil, toss in the green beans and season with salt and white pepper. Cook, tossing the beans, for 2 to 3 minutes on very high heat, until softened and charred. Remove the beans from the wok, and set aside.
- Using the same wok on high. add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil, along with the scallions and the ginger. Allow the scallions, mushrooms and ginger to sizzle for 20 to 30 seconds, to release their aromas, then stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms soften and darken and scallions have a nice scorch.
- Return the green beans and add noodles to the wok, along with 2 or 3 tsp of Sesame Seed Oil and Thai sweet chili sauce in two or 3 batches as you stir in the noodles and season with salt and pepper. Toss well to combine, just until the noodles are heated through.
- Whisk Miso into Ramen broth.
- Divide the noodles into bowls, top with hot Ramen broth and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.
- Sprinkle Shichimi togarashi or Sichuan chili oil to add more heat and color.