so sorry for the long hiatus!! i've been working full-time in the kitchen for the past several months, and have not had too much time to write (or even cook at home!). working in the restaurant has truly been eye-opening, and it's honestly been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences in my life. more about the kitchen experience in a future blog post!
i'm trying to set a goal for myself to write at least one new recipe per week, so hopefully the posts will be more regular from now on!
on a cold winter day, there's only a few things that can be more satisfying than a bowl of noodles and steaming hot broth. bacon is one of those things that fit into the "only a few things category", so i thought: why not combine bacon, noodles, and steaming hot broth in one recipe?? usually pho or ramen broth takes hours and hours to make (if you don't use msg or other shortcut artificial seasonings), but a quick yet satisfying solution to that is bacon, which is inherently smoky, flavorful, and simply delicious!
in this recipe, the bacon is almost used as a teabag, and steeped in the water to make a flavorful broth. then the bacon will be cooked until crisp afterwards to make a crunchy finishing topping! now this still isn't considered a super quick dinner, since you have to simmer the broth for about 30 minutes, but hey, i think it definitely beats leaving your pot full of bones on overnight, sleeping on edge that you might cause a fire--
hope you enjoy this recipe!
currently listening to:
BEAST- 12:30 [click here for english subbed]
serves 2
prep time: 5-10 min
cook time: 35-45min
adapted from food52
ingredients:
- 4 cups/ 1 qt chicken broth
- 1 inch fresh ginger (or about 2 teaspoons minced ginger)
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (2 for the stock, 2 as a garnish)
- 4 slices bacon (preferably smoked)
- 2" piece of lemongrass
- 1 package ramen noodles (just the noodles)
- 2 Tablespoons dark soy sauce (if you can't find dark soy sauce, regular is fine)
- 1 Tablespoon black vinegar (or substitute with rice vinegar)
- 2 eggs
- 1 handful of chopped scallions
- sriracha sauce (optional)
- 1 handful greens (baby spinach, mustard greens, or kale), chopped or julienned
- salt and black pepper
directions:
1. Pour the chicken broth into a medium-sized pot. Add the ginger, 2 cloves of sliced garlic, bacon, and lemongrass to the pot. Simmer on low-medium heat for at least 30 minutes. (Longer if you have the time, for more flavor!)
2. Meanwhile, slice the 2 other cloves of garlic, and chop your scallions and greens.
3. In a different pot, bring the water to a boil and cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside for later.
4. Remove the bacon, lemongrass, and ginger from the stock, and reserve the bacon. Add the greens to the broth (unless if you're using baby spinach), along with the soy sauce and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add more soy sauce or vinegar, to taste.
5. Cut the bacon into small slices. Add the bacon to a frying pan or skillet, and fry until crisp. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the 2 remaining slices of garlic to the skillet, and fry until golden brown. Be very careful to not burn your garlic!
5. Crack the eggs, one at a time, into the broth. Cook them for 2-3 minutes, until they are still slightly runny.
6. Transfer the ramen (and baby spinach, if using) into a bowl. Carefully spoon your eggs into the bowl. Pour the hot broth over the noodles and the eggs.
7. Garnish the top with bacon, garlic, and scallions. Add Sriracha sauce if you wish. I'm a sucker for soft-boiled eggs (especially in ramen), so I added one on top!
Enjoy!