The Ramen Approximation

When Sophia struck off on her own adult life after college, I made her a cookbook including recipes I knew she loved. One of the recipes I included was something I called “The Ramen Approximation,” and it included notes for a new cook about the most efficient way to produce something ramen-ish that tastes way better than the dried supermarket packet. Whenever I make ramen, I look at the recipe I typed up for her, and I do something completely different, based on my current circumstances. This week, the circumstance was that I made some homemade stock the day before, and I had some roasted pork left over from an awesome pork carnitas situation.

I can happily report that though it was not authentic ramen at all, this week’s version was one of my best yet! Ben is not really a ramen guy, but because he cooked with me, he enjoyed it a bit more than if I had foisted it upon him. Here’s what we did:

The Ramen Approximation

Broth:

6-8 cups broth (we used half chicken/pork homemade stock and half vegetarian Thai Culinary Stock)

1 teaspoon chopped or grated garlic

1 tablespoon chopped or grated ginger

1 bundle scallions, white parts sliced (green parts reserved)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons white miso paste

2 tablespoons  rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sriracha

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Components:

2 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise

8-10 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups pork, cooked and shredded

Dried ramen noodles (1 or more ounces per person)

Toppers:

Medium boiled eggs (1 per person)

1 bunch scallions, sliced green parts

White and black sesame seeds to taste

Lime juice, freshly squeezed

Cilantro

1. Heat broth over medium heat and add all broth ingredients except the sesame oil. Add mushrooms and pork. Cook for one minute and remove from heat. Add sesame oil.
2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook ramen noodles according to package directions. One minute before it is done, add bok choy. After cooking for one minute, remove bok choy with tongs and chop. Drain ramen noodles and divide equally among individual bowls.
3. Ladle soup over noodles. Add bok choy, green parts of scallions, boiled eggs, sesame seeds, lime juice and cilantro.

Here’s my two cents. If you don’t have homemade stock, use what you’ve got. We like, recommend, and did not tinker with, the additives to the broth part of the meal. If you don’t have shredded pork, use sausage, rotisserie chicken, or some other cooked meat you love or have (If you can’t be with the one you love, Honey, love the one you’re with.) Use the veggies you like, but don’t overcook them. When it comes to toppings, let your freak flag fly. And that, my friends, is The Ramen Approximation.

As usual, heading back to school on January 3rd for me was a shock to the system, but we had a lovely New Year’s Eve with our friends, the Chandlers. We ate copious amounts of fondue, spilled a lot (to be fair, that was just me), played Jenga, and generally enjoyed one another’s company. If you would have told me 5 years ago that I’d be making a post (What? Like a fence post?) about having our friends over for fondue on New Year’s Eve, it wouldn’t have seemed like a big deal, but we are grateful, in these days that are not entirely normal yet, for good friends and fondue, and ramen that tastes good enough.