japan

Monday, January 17, 2011

japanese ramen

japanese ramen


I come to you for advice on making what I consider to one of the most delicious meals. My Google search and a sweep of this website's recipe section have left me unsatisfied. So many people love this dish! How can there not be numerous easy to follow recipes for it??
I'm looking for a recipe for authentic Japanese ramen. No "Top Ramen" or "Maruchun" now. I'm looking for recipes that include fresh noodles (well, just not "Top Ramen" noodles) and steps for making the broth. I'm also looking for places where I can buy the ingredients. I live in New York, but when I enter an oriental grocery stories, I have no idea which noodles to buy. For broths, I particularly love seaweed and miso broth. If anyone has any clues on this seemingly mysterious process, fill me in!
I am addicted to Men Kui Tei in the East Village, but I need to learn how to make this delicious dish myself, so I can have it anywhere at any time! If you know the ingredients and particularly where in the city I can buy them, that would absolutely fantastic.

Someone out there must know! Help!
When I lived in Japan, I saw two ways to make a traditional broth; with miso and without. For Ramen., choose beef, seafood or chicken. I DON"T eat beef so, for me it's usually chicken, even for seafood. Add Kombu (large Japanese seaweed) and let it soak in the broth as a flavor booster. Ramen is a noodle as you know but it can be made from rice or wheat flours. Winter ramens are ususally the heavier wheat flour noodles. Any oriental market (chinese, thai, korean, or Japanese) should carry them either fresh or dried. If fresh boil in plain water first just to get the starch out then add to broth. You can complement w/fresh chopped scallion, reconstituted shitake, egg drops, chicken pieces or seafood. Some ramens also have tempura added. You can also use miso as a base to chicken broth for a miso ramen. If you choose to use msio, buy white miso which is mild. (dark miso is strong in flavor). To add miso: I use a tablespoon and scoop into a small (tea) strainer and swish the spoon around in the strainer over the broth and slowly dissolve into broth. Small soybean particles will be left into the strainer. Disgard. Miso is heavy and will eventually sink to the bottom of the broth but, when you stir it will blend in again. Add again any of the above condiments and enjoy. If you want a beef ramen, use beef broth as a base and add very thin slices of your favorite meat. Pickled radish is a good accompaniment and also found in the oriental markets. BTW, NATTO, is a fermented soybean that is common to Japanese and eaten as a maki sushi or w/rice. The same product that miso is made from. Udon is another type of noodle that's in a soup - it's fat and white where ramen is thinner and egg is usually added. Fancy ramen may have green tea or buckwheat or other components added. Remember, fresh is best

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