Miso Ginger Chicken Ramen
-The noodles:
-I used an egg chow mein, or stir fry noodle — dried or fresh are both fine. Cook according to package instructions and set aside.
-Don’t use the ramen noodles in the packages, save them for the starving college kids. The noodles break into little bits and there’s nothing fun or palatable at all about eating them.
-The broth:
-6 dried shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted in 2 cups of boiling water. Save the mushroom broth, you’ll be using this.
-1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, minced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-3 tablespoons red miso paste
-2 tablespoon mirin
-Reserved chicken marinade
-3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
-1 tablespoon granulated sugar
-2 cups mushroom broth
-4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
-The veggies:
-1/2 yellow onion
-4 green onions, trimmed and cut into 1/3rds
-1/2 cup sweet yellow corn kernels (canned is fine, just drain and pat dry)
-6 reconstituted shiitake mushrooms
-Other goodies:
-Firm tofu, sliced into squares and patted dry
-Pickled ginger
-2. 8-minute boiled egg, peeled & halved
-small handful fresh cilantro
Deep breath, you can do this!
Cook your noodles, then drain the pot, saving the noodles of course.
Put the pot back on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Let’s cook the tofu & vegetables first – we’ll cook the each individually to both tenderize and brown, but also so we can plate each component at the end. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and once it’s good & hot, add the tofu. Cook on both sides until browned (about 2-3 minutes each side). Remove from the pan and add the onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly charred. Remove from the pan and set down onto a large plate in a pile. Remember, the vegetables will stay separated until you plate the soup, and then everyone will become fast friends. Add the corn kernels and cook for 2-3 minutes, again until browned. Remove and set aside in a pile on the plate with the onions. Cook the green onions similarly. Remove and set aside. Throw in the shiitake mushrooms for about 4 minutes. Remove and set onto the plate.
Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil. Cook the chicken according to package instructions (make sure you pat it dry of excess marinade). Cook the chicken on both sides until browned, caramelized and most importantly, cooked through. Remove from the pan. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Add more vegetable oil if needed. Quickly cook the ginger and garlic — the pot will be very hot so this will happen quickly. Add the miso paste and cook for about 1 minute. Deglaze with mirin. Add the reserved chicken marinade and bring to a low boil for 1-2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sugar, mushroom and chicken broths. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 8-10 minutes to marry the flavors. Taste and season as needed.
Strain the broth into 1 large or 2 medium serving bowls.
To assemble:
-Add a heap of noodles into each bowl. The noodles will be the comfy bed for the rest of the ingredients.
-Top with small piles of onion, green onion, corn, mushroom, egg, sliced chicken, tofu, pickled ginger and cilantro.
Slurp.