This article brought to you by Lake Gregory Recreation and Prime Properties.
By Victoria Heerschap
This ramen recipe is easy, once you find all of the ingredients! Everyone knows soy sauce, and many have worked with fresh ginger, but mirin and even sesame oil may be a new experience for some. All of these items can be found in your local grocery store, generally right next to each other in the same section. If you cannot find ramen noodles along with the rest, try the little packages of ramen that are so popular with college students! Just be sure to discard that seasoning packet! Each pack is about 3 oz., so three packs will do.
Mirin is a sweet, rice flavoring made from Japanese rice wine. It’s subtle and sweet and absolutely delicious. Together with the toasty sesame oil, the mirin gives the ramen its authentic flavor. A warning about the sesame oil: Do not scorch it! Sesame oil has a low smoke point, which means it can’t take as much heat as other oils, like veggie or even olive oil. Watch your oil carefully as it heats to make sure it doesn’t start smoking. If it does, throw it out, wash the pot, and start again!
I enjoy serving this dish with a soft-boiled egg (sliced in half) floating on top and garnished with some sliced green onion. Try out your own combos!
Ramen Recipe
Ingredients:
½ cup onion – minced
4 cloves garlic – minced
2 tsp fresh ginger – minced
1 tbsp. sesame oil
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup soy sauce
6 – 8 cups chicken stock
1 bag frozen vegetable medley
10 oz. ramen noodles
Directions:
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the mirin and soy sauce and simmer for 3 minutes, then add the broth and increase the heat to high. Bring the broth to a boil, reduce heat to medium/low, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Dump the bag of frozen vegetables into the broth and cook for 5 minutes. Add the noodles and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished as desired.
