Hungry’s been busy and you still want recipes, so here goes nothing. Why not? I’ve worked in restaurants (ok, as a dishwasher and a waiter), I eat four meals a day, and I’m not a complete Raytard.

–not Schmalz

Ramen

 

Lately I’ve been obsessed with Japanese ramen noodle soups. They’re another way to carbo load, and there’s no better way to feel warm and happy than having a big bowl of soup. For research, go to Sapporo to sample the real thing, and watch Tampopo, a movie that’s sort of about a chef’s quest to make the perfect bowl of noodles, but also includes sex acts with live shrimp and raw eggs.

Tampopo’s noodle master and his teachings.

The Frame

The soup stock is the backbone of the whole thing. Use chicken broth from a can or a box and you’ll get a flaccid, unsatisfying soup, nothing more than flavored water. Both Whole Foods and Fresh Direct sell real chicken stock which, unlike the canned stuff, has been simmered long enough to extract the gelatin from the bones. Real stock will make a soup that permeates your soul and gives you that happy feeling only comfort food can give. You know, that feeling that everything is ok and the world isn’t going to hell in a handbasket.

To really do it right, however, you should make your own stock. Making this dish with your own stock is like winning a race on a frame you welded. Or so I imagine, since I can do neither. As a bonus you can custom tailor your stock for this dish, substituting Japanese flavors like seaweed (konbu), dried fish (bonito), green onions, and ginger for standard stock ingredients like italian parsley, bay leaves, and thyme.

The Drivetrain

While the stock provides the body for the soup, other ingredients provide the main flavor. For a shoyu ramen like the one being mastered in Tampopo, simply add Japanese soy sauce (shoyu is a type of soy sauce) to the stock. I don’t like to use too much soy – it’s too salty and not that interesting. As an alternative you can use japanese soup base, which is soy with the added flavors of seaweed and dried fish. I like to soak some dried shiitake mushrooms for an hour and add the mushroom flavored water to the soup. Dice the mushrooms and throw them in as well. Soup base and mushroom water together make a lighter but more powerfully perfumed soup than soy alone.

An alternative to the clear shoyu soup is miso. To make a miso ramen like Sapporo’s special ramen, sauté ground pork in a pot with vegetable oil. When the pork is cooked through, add stock, miso paste, and corn. If you’re using fresh corn scrape the cobs with the back of a knife and add the pulp to the soup. Scrape the pot to incorporate all the pork flavor. Simmer this for a while, and skim off the scum and fat.

Some specialty ingredients: Enoki mushrooms, fried tofu, udon noodles, soup base, seaweed (for stock), and pickles.

Stem, Seatpost, Bars

You can throw whatever you want into the soup. Spinach is fine, baby bok choy is even better. Fried tofu skins add flavor and authenticity. Sliced roast pork is nice, too, especially for the more austere shoyu ramen. Just marinate a pork tenderloin in soy and worcestershire, then sear on the stove and roast at 350 to 158 degrees. Don’t overcook the pork, since you’ll be tossing it into boiling soup. Cut the pork into 3-4mm slices and top each bowl with 3 or 4 slices. Watch Tampopo for proper pork handling technique (“Concentrate on the three pork slices. They play the key role, but stay modestly hidden…apologize to the pork by saying ‘See you soon’.”).

Wheels

I don’t know why the noodles are the wheels, aside from the fact that this metaphor’s been stretched too thin. I sometimes substitute udon noodles for egg ramen noodles. If you use udon make sure to boil them for 10 minutes, then let sit covered for 2 minutes. This keeps them from sucking up all that delicious soup you worked so hard to make.

Contact Points

Garnishes like bean sprouts and sliced green onions add contrast and freshness. I add the stronger white portions of the green onions to the soup while it simmers, saving the green parts for garnish. Minced japanese pickles add more crunch and tartness. Enoki mushrooms are another nice touch. Finally, try sprinkling some furikake as a last touch. 

My shiitake mushroom shoyu ramen, with baby bok choy, roast pork, corn, and tofu. Enoki, pickles, and furikake sprinkled on top. Obviously not a lot of effort expended on presentation.

Where do you get it?

Try Katagiri on 224 East 59th, or Yagura at 24 East 41st St. While you’re there pick up some wacky Japanese sour candy.