AuthorBen WatsonCategoryDinner, Lunch, PorkBeyond the holistic perfection of leek and potato soup, I don’t have much appetite for the old fashioned ‘cream of whatever’ concoctions. I’m much more a ‘stoup’ fan, whether it be chowder, minestrone or something similar, and few ‘Cook’s Cheats’ work better than our Miso Ramen Broth and Fish Soup bases. We’ve done the work for you and all you need to do is chose your seafood or ramen additions.
Char Siu pork is probably the most common ramen meat ingredient, but I’m a big fan of a Chinese style meatball. Lion’s Head Meatballs with vermicelli noodles, bok choy and Chinese leaves/Napa cabbage are a good place to start. It's really more of a noodle soup than a classic ramen; a Shanghai classic and easy to make. Traditionally, they’re made big – one per person – and served in a bowl with the vermicelli and bok choy ‘mane’ beneath – hence the ‘lion’s head’. Ignoring the aesthetics, small meatballs win hands down on all other counts, so that’s what I do, and the danger of ending up with broth all over your table cloth and shirt front is averted.
Pat dry the tofu with kitchen paper and mash in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the oil) and mix well.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry a teaspoon of the mix and check the flavour. If it tastes a little bland, add a couple of teaspoons of five spice and mix in. Don’t over mix or the meatballs will be solid and rubbery.
Form into 2½ cm meatballs and quickly fry to form a crust. Chinese meatballs are often just poached in broth like a dumpling, but the texture doesn’t do it for me so give them a bit of a fry first.
If you’re sticking with the program, they’re finished off in a light chicken broth with Chinese leaves, bok choy and vermicelli noodles, but they’re equally good in our more substantial Miso Ramen broth - and feel free to use other vegetables and noodles.
A few dried mushrooms in the broth will add even more umami depth.
Ingredients
Directions
Pat dry the tofu with kitchen paper and mash in a bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the oil) and mix well.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry a teaspoon of the mix and check the flavour. If it tastes a little bland, add a couple of teaspoons of five spice and mix in. Don’t over mix or the meatballs will be solid and rubbery.
Form into 2½ cm meatballs and quickly fry to form a crust. Chinese meatballs are often just poached in broth like a dumpling, but the texture doesn’t do it for me so give them a bit of a fry first.
If you’re sticking with the program, they’re finished off in a light chicken broth with Chinese leaves, bok choy and vermicelli noodles, but they’re equally good in our more substantial Miso Ramen broth - and feel free to use other vegetables and noodles.
A few dried mushrooms in the broth will add even more umami depth.