Boom Noodle Miso Ramen
-like quest for the perfect bowl of noodles, but it’s not. We did talk about how sublime the movie is while we were slurping our noodles, though. If you haven’t seen Tampopo, you should track it down and watch it. I wanted to get it on Netflix for my teenager and ended up having to buy it on Amazon, but that’s OK. It was worth it. I’m not willing to say it’s the best food movie ever (I love Babette’s Feast), but it is without a doubt the most fun. Maybe it’s the best eating movie, and Babette’s Feast is the best cooking movie. That I’ve seen. (Yes, I got an awesome and very racy R rated movie for my teenager.)
boom noodle is a local restaurant – three restaurants, actually. I had a version of this dish at the one in Bellevue several months ago and made it the next day. I fiddled around with it enough that the other night I got it to the point where I love it, and so does my family. We all pretty much did a face-plant in our bowls until we were finished. It’s not a true recreation, but it hits the high points, keeping what I liked and adding what I wished it had. And it’s not true Ramen – for that, we’d need to go to Japan and eat meat, or at least dedicate a whole day and kitchen to the effort and end up with quasi-Ramen.
Boom Noodle Miso Ramen
20 minutes
Serves 4
½ cup white Miso paste
5 Cups dashi
4 servings Ramen Noodles, fresh or dried* (approx… 12 oz dried, 1 ½ packs fresh)
1 cup Corn, fresh or frozen
16 oz. Packaged savory baked tofu, cut into bite-sized cubes
Black sesame seeds, approx. 2 tsp
4 tsp Sesame oil
1/4 sheet Nori, cut into strips
*Look for chukamen noodles, not yakisoba noodles which are meant for stir-frying. If you can’t find the right kind, rinse them well in warm running water after cooking to rinse the extra low-quality oil off them. Also known as Chinese Wheat Noodles.
In medium pot, heat dashi over medium high flame until just boiling. In small bowl, mix 1 cup dashi and miso paste until smooth, cover to keep warm and set aside. Add corn to hot dashi and cook until tender. Time will vary depending on whether it is fresh or frozen. Stir in miso mixture and add tofu, and keep hot but do not allow to boil.
Meanwhile, follow package instructions for cooking noodles. If needed, rinse them extra well at the end. Finish with a hot rinse, put in individual bowls, and ladle soup over noodles, making sure each bowl gets enough corn and tofu. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and nori, and drizzle 1 teaspoon of sesame oil on top of each bowl. Serve immediately.
Sesame seeds and sesame oil are the key to deliciousness
Date: September 24, 2010