Slow Cooker Ramen

I have been wanting to try ramen for a good long while. Despite the fact that the calendar says September, it's not exactly chilly fall weather. Ramen is a cold-weather comfort food, for sure, but I decided I couldn't wait any longer to make it.

Notes: Ramen is all about the broth. The time you take to build the flavor and pay attention to it is 100% worth it. 

Remember those chicken wings I made? I saved the bones after we ate them and used them in the broth. In all the recipes I read, bones were considered essential to getting the right depth and texture. If you want your ramen to be properly vegetarian, leave them out. You might need to supplement and add more soy sauce to make up for the flavor loss. 

When you put all the ingredients in the broth, don't bother chopping or peeling. You'll fish out all the big pieces so you can strain the broth later, so all the solids will end up in a strainer.

Is this traditional ramen broth? Hardly. I'm not a fan of buying speciality ingredients that I'm not sure I will like or use. So, when I do recipe research, I usually try to replace the specialty stuff with similar things I use. For example, I don't have fish sauce or miso, both of which are traditional for ramen. But, I do have anchovy paste, which has some of the same flavor notes. Also, I left out the traditional soft boiled egg because Scott doesn't eat eggs.

Speaking of specialty ingredients, ramen noodles in the Asian section of the grocery store are kind of expensive. Ramen noodles in the pre-packaged food section are cheap. So, I bought a six-pack of those. You follow the directions on the package, but you skip the step where you add the little flavor packet (holy moly, that thing is chocked full of salt). 

This recipe makes enough noodles for two bowls. If you're feeding four people, I'd use two packages of noodles. 

Haven't used bok choy before? It's in the cabbage family and is often in Asian dishes. The green tops and the white lower parts are both edible. It had a nice mild flavor and the white parts have a great crunch.

Ingredients:

For broth:

4 cups (32 oz) beef stock

4 cups water (preferably filtered)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 dozen bones from chicken wings (approx)

2 carrots

2 spring onions

1 stalk rosemary

5 garlic cloves

1-inch piece if ginger (or 2 tablespoons grated ginger)

2 tablespoons anchovy paste (or 4 anchovy filets)

For serving:

1 package of shitake mushrooms

1 bunch bok choy (or 2 bunches baby bok choy)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 small bunch cilantro

2 spring onions

1 carrot

1 package of ramen noodles + 2 cups of water (see notes)

Sesame seeds

Red pepper flakes

Olive oil

Directions: In the slow cooker, combine all the broth ingredients and set on low for 8 hours. When time is up, remove the large ingredients with a spider or tongs and discard.

Put a stock pot in the sink. Take a strainer, line it with cheese cloth, and place it inside the stock pot. Pour the broth through the strainer. Put the broth on the stove and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to a simmer while you prepare the rest of the ramen.

For the base, slice the mushrooms and boy choy. Add a bit of olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium high. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and cook until just starting to brown (about 7 minutes). Add the bok choy, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes, stirring frequently, until the bok choy is wilted and tender. Sprinkle in some sesame seeds toward the end of cooking.

For the noodles, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the noodles from the ramen package (do not use the seasoning packet). Cook for three minutes, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender.

For the toppings, use a peeler to make ribbons with the carrot. Rough chop the cilantro and finely slice the spring onions.

To assemble, place a little pile of noodles in the bottom of soup bowl. Ladle in the broth, filling the bowl about 3/4 full. Spoon in some of the mushroom and bok choy. Top with carrot ribbons, cilantro, and spring onions. Serve, slurp, and enjoy!