Raclette Ramen Recipes

KIMCHI AND BACON RAMEN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of unsalted water to a boil.
• Heat 1/2 cup of the oil in a small saucepan until hot but not smoking. Turn off the heat. Add half of the scallions and ginger. Let cool for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into a blender and add the cabbage kimchi, sesame seeds and rice vinegar. Blend until coarsely chopped. Transfer the kimchi pesto to a small bowl and set aside. Rinse the blender carafe with hot water.
• Cook the bacon with the 2 remaining teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until brown and crisp, about 12 minutes. Remove the bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate and crumble 2 of the slices. Discard all but 1 tablespoon of the drippings from the skillet. Increase the heat to medium high. Add the garlic and the remaining scallions and ginger. Cook until browned, about 1 minute, then add 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and the crumbled bacon. Simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the bacon-chicken broth to the blender. Add the kimchi juice, miso, mirin and remaining 1 1/4 cups chicken broth. Leave the lid cracked and cover with a kitchen towel to collect any splatters. Blend until smooth.
• Add the ramen noodles to the boiling water and cook until al dente, about 1 1/2 minutes for fresh noodles and 2 1/2 minutes for dried noodles. Drain and divide among 4 soup bowls. Pour the hot broth from the blender into the bowls. Top with the kimchi pesto and remaining 4 slices of bacon. Add the soft-boiled egg, scallions, nori and kimchi.

RACLETTE

Steps:

• Start by making the vinaigrette. Put the mustard and red wine vinegar into a bowl or jug and whisk together. Add salt and pepper then slowly add the sunflower oil, whisking as you go until the mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in the chopped chives and store in the fridge until needed.
• Boil the potatoes for 15-18 mins or until tender. Drain, leave to steam dry for a few mins then add the butter, keep warm until serving.
• Arrange all the other ingredients in bowls, plates and platters on the table. Set up and turn on the raclette machine according to manufacturer's instructions - you may want to set the raclette machine on a heatproof tray to catch any melty cheesy drips.
• Let your guests help themselves to ingredients - if your raclette machine has a top hot plate use this to keep the potatoes warm or crisp them up and use to cook the peppers if you don't want them raw.
• Get stuck in! Everyone should have their own mini handled tray on which to put a slice or two of raclette cheese. This then sits under the central grill until melted. With an arrangement of potatoes and/or cured meats etc on their plate, your guests can then scrape their own portion of melted cheese on top with a wooden paddle or spoon. Leave the jug of vinaigrette on the table so it can be drizzled over the potatoes or salad leaves to taste. Serve with crusty bread on the side.

RACLETTE

Steps:

• Have a knife ready and small plates to serve. Arrange potatoes, pickles, onions, caper berries, ham, and tomatoes on a serving platter. Place cheese on a clean stone or a heatproof board or tile as close to the fire as possible. As the top of the cheese melts, scrape off cheese onto potatoes and accompany with garnishes. It takes some time between servings for the cheese to continue to melt, so have some wine or kirsch handy to keep guests happy.

HIYASHI CHUKA RAMEN

Steps:

• For the charshu: Bring the soy sauce, mirin, ginger and garlic to a simmer in a large saucepan. Add the pork belly and let simmer, covered, for 2 hours. Refrigerate in its liquid until firm, about 1 hour, then slice into 2-centimeter pieces.
• For the sauce: Put the soy sauce, pork stock, rice vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, green onions and 1 1/2 cups water into a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Let simmer over medium heat until the green onion stalks are tender. Strain the sauce into a bowl and add the sesame paste to the sauce. Stir well with a whisk. Put the sauce in the fridge and chill until serving.
• For the toppings: Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Marinate the bean sprouts in the solution until serving. Keep it in the fridge if preferred.
• Bring water to a boil in a medium pan. Trim off the ends of the asparagus, then cut them in half or about 3 inches long. Put them in the boiling water, then cook them until just crisp-tender, 2 1/2 minutes for thin spears and 3 to 4 minutes if thicker. Plunge them into ice water. Dry them off with paper towels and put them aside. Keep them in the fridge if preferred.
• Cut the cucumber in half, about 3 inches long, then cut them in half vertically. Slice them into sticks, trying to match the asparagus size.
• Grease a medium pan, preferably nonstick, and heat it over medium heat. Place the eggs in a small bowl and whisk until well mixed. Once the pan is heated, bring the heat down to medium-low. Pour about 1/4 cup egg mixture into the pan (like a crepe). Once the egg sheet is cooked (no need to brown it or anything, just golden is good), flip that on a cutting board. Grease the pan and repeat the process. Flip the second onto the first sheet on the cutting board. Repeat the process and make as many sheets with the egg mixture as you can. Cut the egg sheets in half, then layer them on top of each other and cut them into strips. Match them to the asparagus size.
• Bring water to a boil in a large pot (or medium pot if you're cooking 4 packs of noodles individually). Add the noodles to boiling water and stir well with tongs or chopsticks to prevent sticking. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 1/2 minutes or according to the instructions. Strain the noodles and plunge them into ice water or put the strainer under cold running water and rinse off the starchiness until the noodles aren't warm anymore. (You can use your hands to wash off the starchiness!) Shake the water off the noodles really well.
• Add 1 portion ramen noodles to a serving bowl with 5 ounces sauce. Add topping ingredients to your liking and add pickled ginger, if using.