people
Recipe: lobster miso ramen
As last week wound down, we took advantage of our proximity to decent trails and got Neva out on the snow again. Even if the snow isn’t ideal, it’s good for her to get regular training and exercise on and in the snow. Eventually, we’d like to get her on some of the dog-friendly nordic trails in Crested Butte this season. On Friday, she had doggy day care so I could run errands on the flats. While in line at a store, I witnessed an argument break out among three people in the next line over. Each party behaved badly. Each party escalated the conflict. Eventually there was a gesture, profanities, a shove, a retaliatory shove. These three adults – well into their 60s and all of them strangers to one another – were no better than squabbling children. As soon as the shoving began, I stepped forward and broke it up. “What the hell is wrong with people?” I asked Jeremy as we drove up the canyon.
a fine day for a ski with the pup
someone needed a bath after a good day at doggy daycare
After giving Neva a bath outside, we found ourselves asking that question again the moment we turned on our public radio station and heard the news headlines. My social networks had exploded with expressions of grief, horror, anger, fear, blame, hope, sympathy, self-righteousness, ignorance… I closed my laptop and exhaled my frustrations, “What is WRONG with people?!” In the morning, we opted to remove ourselves to the high country where we could scout out the snow conditions. Neva stayed home to rest as she was still exhausted from her daycare exertions. It didn’t matter that the snow was thin and covered in rocks in places. It didn’t matter that there was windslab on some slopes and that it was warm enough for the snow to stick to and clump on our skis. I just wanted to get outside and sort through my feelings, my thoughts. Jeremy is the only person I can count on to speak rationally, thoughtfully, and sensibly most of the time. We both benefited from the exercise, getting outside and having the backcountry to ourselves, and being able to share our thoughts quietly with one another.
putting away the climbing skins
a slabby, sticky, sloppy snowpack
We spent the rest of the weekend working and giving wide berth to frothing-at-the-mouth Facebook comment fights. It was a good time for comfort food. A couple of years ago, I had received a lobster ramen recipe from the PR machine of a local chef. Lobster ramen sounds divine, right? I mean, there is lobster – and then there is ramen. Boom! But after reading through the recipe, it wasn’t what I was craving. I think my Asianness demanded more Asian-y flavors, and this recipe was not only heavy on European interpretation, but it was also ridiculously involved. So I sat on the idea of lobster ramen until I found something more in tune with my tastes. Lobster miso ramen delivers on the flavors, textures, and it can be quite simple and quick to make.
toasted nori, white beech mushrooms, cooked ramen, green onions, hondashi granules, white miso paste, butter, lobster
You can probably find most of the ingredients at a typical grocery store that has a well-stocked Asian food aisle. For dashi (bonito fish soup stock), I use hondashi instant granules because they store so easily in my refrigerator. That’s something you probably need to get from an Asian grocer. As for the ramen, I had some leftover dried ramen to move from my pantry since my search for fresh ramen noodles at the Asian grocery store came up empty. I also read that curly ramen is better for miso broths because the miso tends to cling to those crooks in the noodles.
simmer the dashi and add the mushrooms and cooked lobster meat
When the lobster meat is warmed through, temper the miso paste with a little of the dashi. Whisk it until smooth and then add a little more dashi to the miso. You need to loosen up the thick miso paste before adding it to the dashi or else you will get chunky bits of miso floating about the soup. Stir the miso liquid back into the soup.
tempering the miso with dashi
add the diluted miso to the saucepan
So that took all of a few minutes to do, assuming your lobster was cooked and shelled (if not, address the lobster first). Divvy up the cooked ramen in your serving bowls and ladle hot soup over the noodles. Throw in some of those wonderful mushrooms while you’re at it and arrange the lobster meat on the noodles. Tuck a couple of squares of toasted seaweed on the side. You can garnish the ramen with whatever strikes your fancy. I am particular to sautéed greens (bok choy, spinach, napa cabbage, Chinese broccoli), kimchi, mushrooms, and a poached egg. I’ve seen lots of boiled eggs served with ramen, but for me, there is nothing more enticing than the oozing golden yolk mingling with the miso broth and kimchi spices.
ladle soup over the ramen
add green onions, butter, lobster, kimchi, bok choy, fish cake, toasted seaweed
last but not least, a poached egg
Even if you made this without the lobster (maybe use shrimp instead), the bowl is filled with so many goodies and flavors that you are still guaranteed a most excellent time. For me, the broth is what makes the dish. The noodles I used were mediocre at best, but I have no doubt that I will tackle fresh ramen someday, or at least buy fresh ramen noodles. What I love about this recipe is how much happiness you can get for a pretty minimal time investment. And when you sit down to slurp the noodles and sip the miso broth, you might just start feeling better about the world.
let the yolk run free!
get in mah belleh
Lobster Miso Ramen
[print recipe]
from The Aimless Cook
3 cups dashi
1 cup mushrooms (white beech, shimeji, enoki, etc.)
1-2 cups lobster meat, cooked (steamed or boiled in shell, then shelled) and cut into large pieces
1/4 cup shiro miso (white miso paste)
2 serving ramen noodles, fresh or dried
1 sheet toasted nori (seaweed), cut into quarters
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1 tbsp butter
other garnishes (kimchi, sautéed bok choy or greens, corn, fish cake, mushrooms, etc.)
2 eggs (hard boiled or poached)
Note: I make my dashi from hondashi instant granules using 1/2 tablespoon for 3 cups of hot water.
Simmer the dashi in a medium saucepan, but do not let it come to a boil. Add the mushrooms and lobster to the dashi. Place the miso in a small or medium bowl and whisk a quarter cup of the hot dashi into the miso until incorporated. Whisk in another quarter cup of dashi. Pour the miso mixture into the saucepan and stir until combined. In a separate saucepan, cook the ramen noodles in boiling water (should only take a few minutes). Drain the noodles and divvy them up between serving bowls. Ladle the hot soup over the noodles and distribute the lobster and mushrooms in each bowl. Tuck two squares of nori on the side of each bowl. Sprinkle green onions over the noodles and place a half tablespoon of butter on top. Arrange your other garnishes around the bowl and top with an egg. Serves 2.
more goodness from the use real butter archives
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chinese cellophane noodle soup |
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chinese pork rib soup |
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miso soup |
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taiwanese beef noodle soup |
November 16th, 2015 at 12:46 am
this sounds so tasty- warming and perfectly comforting for the body and the mind. as for the noodles- i’ve had success with the frozen sun noodles (i’ve been able to find them at chinese and japanese markets in northern california, so i’m not sure if they get stocked in colorado). they’re springy and chewy, with a mildness that adds enough flavor while still allowing you to tinker with the seasonings if you want.
November 16th, 2015 at 5:43 am
What wonderful comfort for a craptastic weekend. I have been tempted to leave Facebook in recent weeks, due to ignorant and racist comments to events at my oldest child’s university, and now some of the comments around Paris. That oldest child will be in grad school next year, and loves Asian food & flavors. I will save this recipe for her (or maybe we’ll just make it at home first, because I am sure we would all enjoy it with shrimp) because she has acknowledged the need for stepping up her kitchen game. She currently pours a mean bowl of cereal.
November 16th, 2015 at 6:45 am
Yum – love a good bowl of ramen and I totally agree on the Asian flavors. I’m also at a loss for words when seeing what’s going on in the world.
November 16th, 2015 at 7:08 am
Jen – I read your blog all the time – thank you a million times over – and rarely Comment because I read it mainly on my iPad and have found it really difficult to post my comment. But…I love reading it, love your recipes (thank you for sharing them with us), love your beautiful photos and absolutely love Neva.
November 16th, 2015 at 8:33 am
I’m so glad you stepped forward when the shoving started. So many of us are afraid to get involved. You’re right – what is wrong with people? It’s great that you have Jeremy, Neva, and the outdoors to bring sanity back to your life. Thanks for the ramen recipe; it’s a good one to try when we’re in Nova Scotia during lobster season.
November 16th, 2015 at 9:38 am
I agree, it has been a very dark weekend. The ramen looks like the light at the end of the tunnel. It looks incredible! I can only imagine how much of a flavor bomb it was. Thank you for sharing and always inspiring me :)
November 16th, 2015 at 10:16 am
Oh man. This weekend. I just, I’m out of words.
On a much brighter note, thank you for a beautiful recipe. I’ll probably do this with shrimp soon, since we don’t have any special occasions coming up…unless of course I can find some lobster on sale. Kenji Alt Lopez (of Serious Eats, and my internet boyfriend in my head) recommends Sun ramen noodles, fresh in a pack if you come up on any. Just discard the flavor pack.
November 16th, 2015 at 5:39 pm
I seldom comment. Just a note of general positivity for you, your blog and graciously sharing your talents with us. Thank you.
November 17th, 2015 at 8:06 am
You make everything look beautiful. Thank you for the comfort.
November 17th, 2015 at 8:07 am
WOW, no impossible to read security link!
November 17th, 2015 at 8:20 am
That’s what Steve and I do when god so much is going on in the news and the world and people cannot seem to stop and think critically and discuss calmly. We drive to the woods and talk to one another and hash out our feelings and opinions and ideas together. Yeah. <3
November 17th, 2015 at 7:32 pm
What an ugly experience you had, Jen. I often ask myself too, what’s wrong with the people? You’re so lucky to have Jeremy to share your thoughts and feelings. And nature, of course, being outside far away from people helps a lot, too. Hope you are better now.
As for the recipe: I’m still a bit timid to some very Asian dishes. On the one hand I’m always missing some of the ingredients and on the other hand some are still very strange (or foreign) to me, as for example “Miso”. I cannot imagine what it tastes like so I do not buy it. Hm. Silly? Shame… Nevertheless your Ramen looks great!
Have a lovely day you two!
Irmi
November 18th, 2015 at 12:04 pm
Neva is a lucky puppy ! Looking forward to seeing what you plan for Neva’s birthday feast !
November 20th, 2015 at 12:48 pm
Good for you to go into the woods and think for yourself. That’s exactly what I do when I don’t want to get overwhelmed by other people’s opinion and views.
Also like the miso soup ;) Lovely!
November 29th, 2015 at 11:13 am
Heather – thanks for that tip. I’ll keep an eye out for some!
Kristin – Awww, you’re a good mom. Teaching her to cook will be one of the best things she’ll carry with her :) xo
Eva – xo
Barb – thank you!
Claudia – Oh, I might have been less inclined to do so if these were two huge men getting into a big fist fight, but I could have taken any one (or two) of these three medium sized older white people ;) Really, I just wanted to dope slap them all… And lobster season in Nova Scotia?! Wow!! :)
Giselle – thank you xo
Christine – oh good, that’s two recs for Sun brand noodles (and Kenji Alt Lopez is awesome). Thanks!
Jean – so sweet of you xxoo
Jill – sorry!
Melissa – yeah, sometimes the FB scene is just more than I want/need. Love you, Mel. xo
Irmi – Oh, miso is wonderful stuff :) I think if you start with the mildest (white miso), that is probably a good introduction. But have you ever had miso soup in a Japanese restaurant before? If you like it, then you’ll like miso paste :)
Veronica – ha ha! I am too!
Drumles Den Haag – thanks!
February 24th, 2016 at 9:20 pm
Hi there, I’ve been busy and have not posted a comment in a long while! So Happy New Year and love seeing how big Neva has gotten! Love this dish, I crave these types of soups all the time! So glad I checked back through the and seeing what I missed!
Veronica aka Chef V?