Let’s not kid ourselves – I’m no Ivan Orkin or any form of proper ramen chef, chef, cook or any other sort of professional in the food industry. But damn if I don’t love food and love trying to make things that others have mastered. After watching the Chef’s Table episode about Ivan Orkin I couldn’t resist trying my hand at a real bowl of ramen.

Sadly I have to admit up front to cheating in two ways: 1) this may be sacrilege, but I used a vegetable stick cube as part of the broth, and 2) I used packaged ramen noodles. The first is because I can’t quite get my broths right and didn’t want to wait to try my hand at ramen. The second was because it’s just the next step – perfect other bits first and then move on to make it even better.

One thing I would highly recommend is investing in some good bowls – I bought the ones in the picture on my second go around and they made a huge difference.

Makes 2 portions

For the broth

Ingredients

– 1 tbsp cooking oil
– 1 chicken or vegetable stock cube
– 4 tbsp freshly chopped ginger
– 2 garlic cloves
– 4 spring onions (White bit)
– 2 dl chopped brown button mushrooms
– 1 green pepper
– 1 fresh squeezed lime
– 1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
– 4 tbsp soy sauce (or to taste)
– 1 L water

Method – Broth

1) Heat the oil in a pot on medium to low heat
2) Add chopped garlic, ginger and chopped white bit of the spring onions and gently sautée till soft
3) Add chopped pepper and mushrooms
4) Add in chicken stock cube with boiling water from the kettle
5) Squeeze in lime and add soy sauce
6) Crank up heat to a healthy boil
7) Boil for at least 60 mins but preferably a bit longer

For the guts

– 2 portions ramen noodles

For the toppings (start when halfway through boiling)

Ingredients

– 1 garlic clove
– 1 tbsp fresh ginger chopped into long bits
– 2 bunches long mushrooms
– 1 baby pak choi
– 1 tbsp sesame oil
– 2 medium tomatoes
– 2 eggs
– 4 spring onions (green bits)

Method – tomatoes

1) Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius
2) Cut tomatoes in half
3) Place tomatoes on a baking tray
4) Cover with olive oil, salt and pepper
5) Bake until soft and slightly caramelised

Method – egg (I like soft boiled guys, but do what suits you)

1) Bring water to a boil
2) Place eggs into water and boil for 7 mins
3) Remove from water and cover with cold water
4) Peel eggs
5) Place in a bath of soy sauce/cold broth until assembly

Method – Browned sesame garlic (there is a proper version of this but mine is more like crispy ginger garlic pak choi)

1) Crush the garlic and chop into a fine paste
2) Heat sesame oil on low heat and add the garlic and stir fry never leaving the garlic still
3) After the garlic browns, add in ginger and continue stir frying
4) Chuck in the pak choi and take of the heat
5) Stir everything together and put to the side until ready to assemble

Assembly!

1) Place a small amount of soy sauce in the bottom of the bowls
2) Place a a quarter of the garlic and ginger mixture (not the pak choi) in the bottom of the bowls
3) Spoon in the broth until the bowls are about three quarters full
4) Spoon in half of the ramen noodles into each bowl
5) Place the roasted tomatoes in one segment of the bowls
6) Place the long mushrooms in the next segment
7) Place the pak choi in the next segment
8) Place one egg cut in half in the next segment of each bowl
9) Top with remainder of garlic ginger mix and chopped green bits of spring onion

Enjoy, slurping as much as you want 🙂