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Summer Ramen with Fresh Corn & Blistered Tomatoes

Summer Ramen with Fresh Corn & Blistered Tomatoes


  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

For the Broth:

  • 6 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 (1-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon minced lemongrass
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • Red pepper flakes, to taste (I used about ½ teaspoon)
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 5 ears of fresh corn
  • 1 (15-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (add more or less to taste)
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (or more to taste)

For the Tomatoes:

  • 2 cups mixed cherry tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

For Assembly:

  • The broth
  • Reserved cooked bacon (from making the broth)
  • The blistered tomatoes
  • 23 packages dried ramen noodles, depending on how many people you are serving (discard the included seasoning packets)
  • ¼ cup finely diced red onion
  • 46 eggs (I usually do 1 egg per person)
  • Scallions and fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Hot sauce
  • Lime wedges

Instructions

For the Broth:

  1. Place a pot over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Render until crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside (this will be used as a garnish later).
  2. To the drippings, add the ginger, garlic, and lemongrass and sauté for 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and red pepper flakes and stir until incorporated. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes and then strain out and discard the aromatics (garlic, ginger, and lemongrass).
  3. While the broth is simmering, carefully cut the kernels off the corn cobs.
  4. Stir the corn, coconut milk, soy sauce, vinegar, and toasted sesame oil into the broth and simmer for 10 minutes more or until the corn is tender. Adjust the seasoning as needed. Keep warm until you are ready to serve. The broth can be made a few days ahead and stored in the fridge until you are ready for it.

For the Tomatoes:

  1. While the broth is simmering, make the tomatoes by heating up a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and once hot, add the tomatoes along with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Toss the tomatoes to evenly coat them in the oil/seasonings and then leave them undisturbed for 1-2 minutes, or until they begin to blister. Shake the pan once or twice and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat and reserve until you are ready to serve.

Assembly:

  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add your eggs into the boiling water and simmer for 5-6 minutes (5 minutes will yield a very runny yolk and firm white). Using a slotted spoon, carefully remove the eggs from the water (do not drain the pot!) and set them in an ice bath to cool completely. Once cool, carefully peel the eggs under running cold water. Set aside.
  2. Return the pot of water to a simmer. Add the ramen noodles and cook for 2 minutes or until tender. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
  3. To assemble, divide the noodles, cooked bacon, and blistered tomatoes between serving bowls. Ladle over the hot broth, ensuring that each bowl gets a good amount of the corn, and garnish each bowl with soft-boiled eggs, chopped cilantro, scallions, finely diced red onion, and hot sauce. Serve immediately with lots of lime wedges.

NOTES:

  1. To ease the prep of this meal, I usually prepare the different components in stages. For instance, I’ll make the broth (including the crispy bacon) and tomatoes a day or two ahead, storing them in the fridge until I need them, and cook off the eggs and noodles just before serving. The broth is easily reheated on the stove or in a microwave; its hot temperature is enough to warm up the tomatoes and other prepped ingredients. Even the garnishes can be prepped a little bit ahead, although prepping them as close to serving time is always best.