← Nouns Cooking · Japanese

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, grated
• 1 tsp Ginger, grated
• 150 g Minced pork
• ½ tsp chilli bean paste (tobanjan) (optional)
• 4 tbsp miso (a mix of red and white is ideal)
• 1 tbsp Sake
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• 1 tsp Soy sauce
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 l chicken stock
• 2 portions fresh or dried ramen noodles
• 150 g sweetcorn kernels (tinned or frozen)
• 2 handfuls Bean sprouts
• 2 tbsp butter, plus 1 tsp for the corn
• 2 Spring onion, finely sliced
• 2 soft-boiled eggs, halved (optional)

Method

1. Heat the sesame oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the pork and cook for 3–4 min, breaking it up, until no pink remains.
2. Stir in the chilli bean paste (if using), miso, sake, mirin, soy sauce and sugar and fry for 1 minute so the miso smells toasty.
3. Pour in the stock, stirring to dissolve the miso, and bring to a gentle simmer for 5 min. Do not let it boil hard. Taste and add a splash of water if it is too salty.
4. In a small frying pan, sizzle the corn in 1 tsp butter over high heat for 2–3 min until it catches a little colour. Blanch the bean sprouts in boiling water for 1 minute and drain.
5. Cook the noodles in plenty of boiling water as the packet says, drain well and divide between warm bowls.
6. Ladle the hot broth and pork over the noodles. Top with the bean sprouts, corn, spring onion and egg, and finish each bowl with 1 tbsp butter so it melts into the soup.

Tips

• Warm the bowls with hot water first so the soup stays hot to the last slurp.
• Contains wheat, soy and dairy.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Japanese Cooking 101 RecipeTin Japan Pickled Plum