Pan-Roasted Salmon Ramen with Spicy Miso Broth & Wakame

REGION: Japan! My married namesake! INGREDIENT I'VE NEVER USED BUT WILL GLADLY USE AGAIN: Tatsoi. This is basically bok choy, but leave it to the Japanese to pack a powerful punch of flavor into something that seems otherwise lackluster.

RECOMMENDED CHEF's JUICE: I used to drink "Style-Free" when I lived in Japan. Don't drink this. It is one of the worst rated beers of all time anywhere. But do go to your nearby liquor store and get some Asahi, or Sapporo, or Kirin. I like Sapporo because they have winning packaging, but you may value taste over appearance. If so, I may recommend a valid cooking blog and apologize for wasting your time.

NUMBER OF GLASSES CONSUMED IN THE COOKING PROCESS: I was without Style-Free so I only had two.

Japanese food is very delicate which is a difficult ask for this thundering she beast who is known for her consistent overcookery and heavy hand in sauces. Thankfully I can summon cultural critique in the form of my Japanese husband to help me improve. While we needn't be delicate in all our cooking adventures, it wouldn't hurt to learn how to properly handle a fish. The fish warrants respect too!

Hiro is a recurring character in this burgeoning chef story. Not only does he try (and complete!) everything I make, but he does so with great enthusiasm and appreciation. I hope you have your own Hi(e)ro, or, I hope that you can summon your inner Mariah Carey and recognize that a very same hero lies in you. If the latter assign that hero an ethnicity and cook him/her a region specific dinner in appreciation!

Still, know your strengths. You'll note that I begin with ramen and not, say, sushi. We're not there yet young grasshopper.

Now, with the best of intentions let's destroy that which my own Hiro loves. Grab a glass, romantic chefs - let's appreciate!

Here's what you'll need:

Skinless Salmon Fillets

Fresh Ramen Noodles (you'll want to visit your nearby asian grocer)

Scallions

Tatsoi

Dark Miso Paste (not all miso are created equal, sadly)

Sriarcha

White Sesame Seeds

Ginger

Tamari

Dried Wakame (seaweed, but a variety that it subtly sweet. That helps with the flavor complexity).

Here's what you'll do:

You can find the recipe here. This isn't ALL IN Japanese. I had to defer to a recipe tailored for the heavy handed American cook, but, but, but that isn't to say it wasn't tasty. OR won't further inform our Japanese food pursuits. Because even if you employ the "Go Big or Go Home" way of thinking, you still inevitably have to go home, where you'll still, inevitably, need to make something for dinner. So, why not start small-er and reap the benefits of something edible!

TIP: There are a lot of competing flavors in this bowl, but if you want to get anything absolutely-no-room-for-error right, it's the ramen noodles. So if I can impart any wisdom it's this: cook your ramen for no longer than 2 minutes 30 seconds. Time that shit. I add them to a pot of water that's been boiling for awhile and take them out just as soon as the timer dictates. Trust me when I say that you can have a lukewarm bowl of soggy salmon under seasoned broth (see: my sad shame and actual results of this meal), but with perfectly cooked ramen noodles the meal may be saved!

PITFALL (AKA: MY SAD SHAME AND ACTUAL RESULTS OF THIS MEAL): Hot soups should be hot. Ramen is one of those soups. This recipe will ask you to reduce the heat on your broth to bring it to a simmer while the salmon cooks. You can do this, but don't do what I did which was to reduce the heat to the lowest setting and take too long to actually get the salmon on the skillet. WE NEED A SENSE OF URGENCY HERE. Have your frying pan hot and available by the time you are ready to drop your salmon. While you are at it, have your salmon ready by the time you are ready to drop your salmon. Your broth has been working hard for you and you'd hate to sacrifice the texture of the tatsoi if only because you couldn't get your shit together.

VERDICT: Have you ever see... a cuter bookshelf? I worked hard on that gradient color scheme! Also, I love my Hiro and he

seems quite content with his ramen. He is, however, hamming it up for the camera as the ramen was lukewarm at best. So, among Hiro's many talents we can now count acting as one of them. Cheers to all you taste testers out there!

#ramen #tatsoi #senseofurgency #japanesecooking