Roasted Cabbage with Pickled Mustard Seeds and a Parsley Cream Sauce (a Dominique Crenn recipe)

Date Published: Mar 27th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 27th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 24 hours before | Cook time: 1 hour

Jump to recipe |

In August of last year Toby and I went to LA for the first time to attend my friend Mehdi’s wedding. We stayed at a nice hotel called Short Stories and they happened to be hosting a pop-up restaurant called Netflix Bites! It was a restaurant that served dishes from celebrity chefs that appeared on a Netflix series. There were quite a few exciting dishes to choose from so naturally we over-ordered and had 3 main dishes between the two of us. My favourite of the night was a roasted cabbage dish by Dominique Crenn. I had never had cabbage like this before and the flavours were so unique! I was instantly obsessed and knew I had to recreate it somehow. Lucky for me, it’s one of the dishes on her Masterclass – yes, I subscribed to Masterclass just to cook this dish. It was worth it. 🙂

Strap in, this is a lengthy recipe. There are 5 components and it takes some time to put them all together but each step on its own is actually quite simple and you can make most of these components ahead of time and keep it in the fridge if you don’t want to jumble 5 different things at once in the kitchen.

Although there are a lot of components, each one has a purpose:

How it all began – the roasted cabbage dish served at the restaurant

Homemade Sauerkraut – this adds extra tartness and a bit of crunch. You have to make this 2 weeks ahead. Dominique Crenn teaches us to appreciate the humble cabbage by making our own sauerkraut. It’s surprisingly easy and you only need 2 ingredients!
- Here’s a great website if you want to learn about the fermentation process and lacto-fermentation: https://urbanfarmandkitchen.com/how-to-make-sauerkraut-lacto-fermented-cabbage/
Pickled Mustard Seeds – these add a little pop (kind of like caviar or roe on sushi) and sweetness to balance out the texture and flavours of the dish. It takes a minimum of 2 hours to marinate but it tastes better if left overnight so definitely make this ahead of time.
Parsley Oil – this is pretty easy to make and results in a beautiful deep green oil, super concentrated in parsley flavour. You will need a powerful blender like a Vitamix to break down the parsley fine enough. You can either make this the day-of or up to a week early.
Crème Fraîche Sauce – this is the creamy tart sauce that makes the base of the dish. The parsley oil will be mixed through this to complete the flavours. You can either make this the day-of or up to a week early.
Roasted Cabbage – the cabbage is first seared with thyme and garlic to bring out extra flavour, then finished off in the oven to cook through.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients & Tools you’ll need:

Sauerkraut:
- A small or medium savoy cabbage (depending on how much you want to make)
- Kosher salt
- Tools: a kitchen scale and maybe gloves, fermenting container with weights or glass jar with a lid and something heavy in a ziploc bag.
- A knob of butter (~30g) – used later on for heating up the finished sauerkraut before serving
Pickled Mustard Seeds:
- 1/2 cup (100g) yellow mustard seeds
- 2 Tbsps (30g) rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsps (30g) sherry vinegar
- 1.25 Tbsps (20g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt
Parsley Oil:
- 50g flat leaf parsley leaves
- 100g grapeseed oil
- Tools: a powerful blender
Crème Fraîche Sauce:
- 2 Tbsps sauerkraut liquid
- 500g crème fraîche
- 2 Tbsps (30g) Sherry vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste
Roasted Cabbage:
- 1 large cabbage, cleaned
- Grapeseed oil for searing (or any other neutral flavoured oil tolerant to high heat)
- 2 + 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 4 + 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Directions:

A. Optional: Homemade Sauerkraut (Make at least 2 weeks ahead, it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months):

This step is optional. You can use store-bought sauerkraut as well for the recipe, the flavours will be similar.

Ingredients & Tools you’ll need:
- A small or medium savoy cabbage (depending on how much you want to make)
- Kosher salt
- Tools: a kitchen scale and maybe gloves, fermenting container with weights or glass jar with a lid and something heavy in a ziploc bag.

Cut: Peel away any wilted, dirty outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the core. Chop the rest of the cabbage thinly.

Weigh & Salt: Weigh the amount of sliced cabbage you have on a kitchen scale. Calculate 2.5% of the weight of your cabbage and that will be the amount of salt you will add to the cabbage.

Example: my sliced cabbage weighed 1033g (or 1.033kg) x 0.025 = 25.8g. I rounded up and used 26g of salt.

Massage: Make sure your hands are thoroughly washed and cleaned (you can wear disposable kitchen gloves if you’ve got some) – we don’t want to introduce contaminants into our cabbage. Once you’ve added in your salt, massage the cabbage with your hands to mix the salt through, lightly crushing the cabbage as you massage. Do this for about 5-10 minutes until you get a slightly softened and wet cabbage mix.

Pack and Compress: Transfer your sauerkraut to a clean fermenting vessel or glass jar. Use the back of a ladle and compress down the sauerkraut to allow the juices to come up and surround the cabbage. Add a weight* to the top and close the lid. If your container is not light-proof, put your jar in a dark cool place.

*You can get special glass weights for fermenting purposes, but if you don’t have any on hand you can just fill a clean ziploc bag with water, salt, sugar – or anything that will add weight, seal it tight and use it as a weight.

Check on it regularly: If you’re not using a fermenting vessel and if your lid is air-tight, you will need to check on it at least once a day to quickly release any built up gasses. Do not leave the lid off too long to introduce excess air. If you have a special fermenting vessel then you don’t need to do this because the lid will allow the gasses to escape on its own. However, you do need to check on it at least once every 3-4 days to see if any mold has developed or there is any odd discolouration patches. If so, you will need to start over and ensure all your instruments are clean.

2 week final check: After 2 weeks, the sauerkraut should be ready! Do a final inspection for any mold or weird dark patches. The sauerkraut should be a uniform colour and a pale yellow/brown colour (like regular sauerkraut). Give it a taste! This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

B. Pickled Mustard Seeds (Make the day before – this step takes some time and patience and needs to marinate at least 2 hours, so make it early – it will keep in the fridge for 1 month):

Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup (100g) yellow mustard seeds
- 2 Tbsps (30g) rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsps (30g) sherry vinegar
- 1.25 Tbsps (20g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt

Blanch the seeds by simmering for 5 minutes

Blanche the mustard seeds: Place your mustard seeds in a saucepan and add enough cold water to submerge the seeds and cover it by about 2-3cm. Turn on the heat to HIGH to bring it to a simmer, then turn the heat down to LOW and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, strain and discard the water. Repeat this step 3-8 more times until the seeds are no longer bitter and softened but with a crunchy/pop like caviar. The seeds themselves will not have much of a flavour. Once done, strain the seeds and set aside.

The amount of water doesn’t matter too much but if you use too little, the seeds will absorb it all and you won’t be able to simmer, but if you use too much then it will take much longer for the water to come to a boil and you will be waiting for ages.

Yes, this will take a while depending on how many times you have to do it. I did it 6 times. Dominique Crenn said to do it 10-20 times!! 🤯

Prepare the vinegar brine: In the same saucepan on LOW heat, add in the rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir together until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add in the blanched mustard seeds and simmer on LOW heat for 15 minutes, until the majority of the vinegar brine has been absorbed by the seeds. Turn off the heat.

Marinate & Chill: Transfer the mustard seeds and all of the liquid into a heat-proof container and allow it to cool. Put on an airtight lid and let it marinate and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. This will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

C. Parsley Oil (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

Ingredients and Tools you’ll need:
- 50g flat leaf parsley leaves
- 100g grapeseed oil
- Tools: a powerful blender

Remove the stems off the parsley so you’re left with just the leaves. Wash and thoroughly dry all the parsley.

Get out your blender and add a third of the amount of grapeseed oil into the the blender, then the parsley, then drizzle the remaining grapeseed oil over top. Start the blender off slow until everything is broken up, then turn it up to HIGH for 2-3 minutes until you get a smooth paste.

You want a 1:2 ratio between the leaves and the oil. The recipe calls for 50g leaves and 100g oil. If you don’t quite have 50g or have more than 50g, just weigh it and multiply it by two and that will be the amount of grapeseed oil you’ll need.

Once blended, line a fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth/muslin/coffee filter. Strain the blended parsley in oil through this. You can squeeze the bag to release all the oil, but be careful not to squeeze any chunks. You should have a beautiful smooth deep green-coloured oil.

D. Crème Fraîche Sauce (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

Ingredients you’ll need:
- 2 Tbsps sauerkraut liquid
- 500g crème fraîche
- 2 Tbsps (30g) Sherry vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste

In a saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add the sauerkraut liquid and let it come to a simmer. Add in the crème fraîche and whisk until smooth.

Add in the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Taste and add more salt if needed – it should be a creamy tart and slightly salted sauce. Once the sauce is hot, turn off the heat – you do NOT want the sauce to come to a boil, just heated through.

E. Roasted Cabbage (Make the day-of):

Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1 large cabbage, cleaned
- Grapeseed oil for searing (or any other neutral flavoured oil tolerant to high heat)
- 2 + 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 4 + 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Slice the cabbage into wedges, each wedge will be an eighth of the cabbage – cut it in half, then half of each piece, then half again (see photo). Do NOT remove the core of the cabbage. You want to keep it intact so the leaves all stay together when you’re cooking.

Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F and prepare a lined baking tray.

Sear the cabbage: In a wide-based pan on HIGH HEAT, add a drizzle of grapeseed oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer then add in 2-3 cabbage wedges depending on the size of your pan (you do not want to crowd the pan or else the moisture released from the cabbage will end up steaming it). Add in 2 peeled garlic cloves and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme to the oil. When fragrant, tilt the pan and baste the hot oil over the cabbages as it sears. As you sear the cabbage on HIGH heat, you will have to move the pan on and off the heat intermittently when the pan gets too hot to control the heat. Watch out for oil splatters and check the underside of the wedges after 2-3 minutes. Once the underside is a nice brown colour, flip it over and sear the other side, continuing to baste with the oil as it cooks. When both sides are seared, transfer the cabbage to a lined baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage wedges, adding in more grapeseed oil as needed and replacing the garlic cloves and fresh thyme if they get too browned.

Roast the cabbage: Once all the cabbage wedges have been seared, bake them in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked through – use a fork to check the centre for doneness. The fork should go through with a bit of resistance – not too hard that you can’t poke through, but not too soft that it’s mushy. Turn off the oven when done.

While the cabbage is cooking, start heating up the sauerkraut and the crème fraîche sauce to prepare it for plating (see next steps below).

F. ASSEMBLY (finally!):

Heat up the sauerkraut: Take out about 2 cups of sauerkraut and squeeze out the liquid a little. Add the sauerkraut to a saucepan on MED heat with 30g of butter and mix until the butter has melted and the sauerkraut has heated through. Turn off the heat.

Warm up the crème fraîche sauce (if it isn’t already): Pour the crème fraîche sauce into a saucepan and heat on LOW-MED heat until hot. Do not let it come to a boil.

Add 2 Tbsps of parsley oil to the crème fraîche sauce and lightly mix together – don’t mix too thoroughly, you want to see specks and streaks of the green oil contrasting with the white sauce.

Plating: In a wide base bowl or plate, place 2 roasted cabbage wedges in the centre, followed by a big spoonful of warmed sauerkraut beside it. Add a few spoonfuls of the parsley oil/crème fraîche sauce around the cabbage and finish it off with small spoonfuls of pickled mustard seeds around the plate. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Roasted Cabbage with Pickled Mustard Seeds and a Parsley Cream Sauce (a Dominique Crenn recipe)

Date Published: Mar 27th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 27th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, vegetarian
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 24 hours before | Cook time: 1 hour

A. Optional: Homemade Sauerkraut (Make at least 2 weeks ahead, it will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months):

This step is optional. You can use store-bought sauerkraut as well for the recipe, the flavours will be similar.

Ingredients & Tools you’ll need:
- A small or medium savoy cabbage (depending on how much you want to make)
- Kosher salt
- Tools: a kitchen scale and maybe gloves, fermenting container with weights or glass jar with a lid and something heavy in a ziploc bag.

Cut: Peel away any wilted, dirty outer leaves of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage in half and cut out the core. Chop the rest of the cabbage thinly.
Weigh & Salt: Weigh the amount of sliced cabbage you have on a kitchen scale. Calculate 2.5% of the weight of your cabbage and that will be the amount of salt you will add to the cabbage.
- Example: my sliced cabbage weighed 1033g (or 1.033kg) x 0.025 = 25.8g. I rounded up and used 26g of salt.
Massage: Make sure your hands are thoroughly washed and cleaned (you can wear disposable kitchen gloves if you’ve got some) – we don’t want to introduce contaminants into our cabbage. Once you’ve added in your salt, massage the cabbage with your hands to mix the salt through, lightly crushing the cabbage as you massage. Do this for about 5-10 minutes until you get a slightly softened and wet cabbage mix.
Pack and Compress: Transfer your sauerkraut to a clean fermenting vessel or glass jar. Use the back of a ladle and compress down the sauerkraut to allow the juices to come up and surround the cabbage. Add a weight* to the top and close the lid. If your container is not light-proof, put your jar in a dark cool place.
- *You can get special glass weights for fermenting purposes, but if you don’t have any on hand you can just fill a clean ziploc bag with water, salt, sugar – or anything that will add weight, seal it tight and use it as a weight.
Check on it regularly: If you’re not using a fermenting vessel and if your lid is air-tight, you will need to check on it at least once a day to quickly release any built up gasses. Do not leave the lid off too long to introduce excess air. If you have a special fermenting vessel then you don’t need to do this because the lid will allow the gasses to escape on its own. However, you do need to check on it at least once every 3-4 days to see if any mold has developed or there is any odd discolouration patches. If so, you will need to start over and ensure all your instruments are clean.
2 week final check: After 2 weeks, the sauerkraut should be ready! Do a final inspection for any mold or weird dark patches. The sauerkraut should be a uniform colour and a pale yellow/brown colour (like regular sauerkraut). Give it a taste! This will keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

B. Pickled Mustard Seeds (Make the day before – this step takes some time and patience and needs to marinate at least 2 hours, so make it early – it will keep in the fridge for 1 month):

Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup (100g) yellow mustard seeds
- 2 Tbsps (30g) rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsps (30g) sherry vinegar
- 1.25 Tbsps (20g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp (3g) kosher salt

Blanche the mustard seeds: Place your mustard seeds in a saucepan and add enough cold water to submerge the seeds and cover it by about 2-3cm. Turn on the heat to HIGH to bring it to a simmer, then turn the heat down to LOW and continue to simmer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, strain and discard the water. Repeat this step 3-8 more times until the seeds are no longer bitter and softened but with a crunchy/pop like caviar. The seeds themselves will not have much of a flavour. Once done, strain the seeds and set aside.
- The amount of water doesn’t matter too much but if you use too little, the seeds will absorb it all and you won’t be able to simmer, but if you use too much then it will take much longer for the water to come to a boil and you will be waiting for ages.
- Yes, this will take a while depending on how many times you have to do it. I did it 6 times. Dominique Crenn said to do it 10-20 times!! 🤯
Prepare the vinegar brine: In the same saucepan on LOW heat, add in the rice vinegar, sherry vinegar, sugar, and salt. Stir together until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Add in the blanched mustard seeds and simmer on LOW heat for 15 minutes, until the majority of the vinegar brine has been absorbed by the seeds. Turn off the heat.
Marinate & Chill: Transfer the mustard seeds and all of the liquid into a heat-proof container and allow it to cool. Put on an airtight lid and let it marinate and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using. This will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

C. Parsley Oil (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

Ingredients and Tools you’ll need:
- 50g flat leaf parsley leaves
- 100g grapeseed oil
- Tools: a powerful blender

Remove the stems off the parsley so you’re left with just the leaves. Wash and thoroughly dry all the parsley.
Get out your blender and add a third of the amount of grapeseed oil into the the blender, then the parsley, then drizzle the remaining grapeseed oil over top. Start the blender off slow until everything is broken up, then turn it up to HIGH for 2-3 minutes until you get a smooth paste.
- You want a 1:2 ratio between the leaves and the oil. The recipe calls for 50g leaves and 100g oil. If you don’t quite have 50g or have more than 50g, just weigh it and multiply it by two and that will be the amount of grapeseed oil you’ll need.
Once blended, line a fine mesh strainer with a cheesecloth/muslin/coffee filter. Strain the blended parsley in oil through this. You can squeeze the bag to release all the oil, but be careful not to squeeze any chunks. You should have a beautiful smooth deep green-coloured oil.

D. Crème Fraîche Sauce (Make ahead or the day-of. It will last in the fridge up to a week):

Ingredients you’ll need:
- 2 Tbsps sauerkraut liquid
- 500g crème fraîche
- 2 Tbsps (30g) Sherry vinegar
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- Salt & pepper to taste

In a saucepan on LOW-MED heat, add the sauerkraut liquid and let it come to a simmer.
Add in the crème fraîche and whisk until smooth.
Add in the sherry vinegar, lemon juice, pinch of salt and pepper and mix thoroughly. Taste and add more salt if needed – it should be a creamy tart and slightly salted sauce. Once the sauce is hot, turn off the heat – you do NOT want the sauce to come to a boil, just heated through.

E. Roasted Cabbage (Make the day-of):

Ingredients you’ll need:
- 1 large cabbage, cleaned
- Grapeseed oil for searing (or any other neutral flavoured oil tolerant to high heat)
- 2 + 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 4 + 4 sprigs of fresh thyme

Slice the cabbage into wedges, each wedge will be an eighth of the cabbage – cut it in half, then half of each piece, then half again (see photo). Do NOT remove the core of the cabbage. You want to keep it intact so the leaves all stay together when you’re cooking.
Preheat the oven to 160˚C/325˚F and prepare a lined baking tray.
Sear the cabbage: In a wide-based pan on HIGH HEAT, add a drizzle of grapeseed oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Heat the oil until it starts to shimmer then add in 2-3 cabbage wedges depending on the size of your pan (you do not want to crowd the pan or else the moisture released from the cabbage will end up steaming it). Add in 2 peeled garlic cloves and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme to the oil. When fragrant, tilt the pan and baste the hot oil over the cabbages as it sears. As you sear the cabbage on HIGH heat, you will have to move the pan on and off the heat intermittently when the pan gets too hot to control the heat. Watch out for oil splatters and check the underside of the wedges after 2-3 minutes. Once the underside is a nice brown colour, flip it over and sear the other side, continuing to baste with the oil as it cooks. When both sides are seared, transfer the cabbage to a lined baking tray. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage wedges, adding in more grapeseed oil as needed and replacing the garlic cloves and fresh thyme if they get too browned.
Roast the cabbage: Once all the cabbage wedges have been seared, bake them in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked through – use a fork to check the centre for doneness. The fork should go through with a bit of resistance – not too hard that you can’t poke through, but not too soft that it’s mushy. Turn off the oven when done.
- While the cabbage is cooking, start heating up the sauerkraut and the crème fraîche sauce to prepare it for plating (see next steps below).

F. ASSEMBLY (finally!):

Heat up the sauerkraut: Take out about 2 cups of sauerkraut and squeeze out the liquid a little. Add the sauerkraut to a saucepan on MED heat with 30g of butter and mix until the butter has melted and the sauerkraut has heated through. Turn off the heat.
Warm up the crème fraîche sauce (if it isn’t already): Pour the crème fraîche sauce into a saucepan and heat on LOW-MED heat until hot. Do not let it come to a boil.
Add 2 Tbsps of parsley oil to the crème fraîche sauce and lightly mix together – don’t mix too thoroughly, you want to see specks and streaks of the green oil contrasting with the white sauce.
Plating: In a wide base bowl or plate, place 2 roasted cabbage wedges in the centre, followed by a big spoonful of warmed sauerkraut beside it. Add a few spoonfuls of the parsley oil/crème fraîche sauce around the cabbage and finish it off with small spoonfuls of pickled mustard seeds around the plate. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

March 27, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Asian Smashed Cucumber Tomato Egg Salad

Date Published: Mar 5th, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 5th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, side dishes, salads, mains, <30 mins, easy, quick, healthy, low-cal, Taiwanese, vegetarian
Serves: 2 as mains, 1 large plate | Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 5 mins

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This recipe came to me on a search to use up leftover salad ingredients to clear the fridge before our 2 week vacation overseas. It’s quick, easy, flavourful, and kept us on track of our healthy eating goals! This dish is like a cross between a smashed cucumber salad and a tomato egg stir-fry (番茄炒蛋).

In our efforts to be more healthy in this new year, we stocked up on fresh salad ingredients in bulk from Costco just over a week ago and have been slowly getting through it before our trip (it’s amazing how long cos lettuce keeps in the fridge!). It’s the night before our flight and we managed to finish all the leafy greens, but I still had one cucumber and a handful of cherry tomatoes left. Toby has not been a fan of this batch of cherry tomatoes and says they’re too tart for him (I think it’s fine), so instead of making a basic chopped cucumber and tomato salad, I looked for other options that might mask the tomatoes, but to also be quick and easy so I could start packing. I came across this recipe from Bon Appétit. It came out beautifully and so easy the first time. I’ve made some adaptations and added in exact measurements and ended up with this recipe to share!

What is Asian Smashed Cucumber Salad?

Smashed cucumber salad is a very popular Chinese starter/side dish. It’s served cold and in its essence is a mix of cucumber, salt, raw garlic, and some sort of acid (usually black vinegar). It’s supposed to light and refreshing, yet still have a punch of garlicky saltiness to be savoury. There are many variations out there and some people will add in sesame seeds, chilli, ginger, and/or cilantro. You’ll commonly see this dish not only in nice restaurants, but also in small street-side shops in Taiwan. It’s quick, easy, and takes minimal effort and ingredients. An Asian smashed cucumber salad does not traditionally have tomatoes nor eggs in it, so if you want to go the OG route, leave them out, but I prefer this version because it bulks it up and balances the dish out so it’s not so punchy in flavours and you can eat a whole bowl in one sitting as a main meal.

Smashing is important!

A key component to this dish is smashing the cucumbers. If your cucumbers look like they’ve been chopped, then you haven’t smashed them enough. You want the outside skin to crack and the inside to be crushed, but not flattened. Smashing cucumbers allow the marinating sauce to penetrate deeper and infuse the flavours better. It’s also a good way to relieve some stress 😜.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1 cucumber (English hothouse – those long ones)
1/2 Tbsps cooking salt
A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup black vinegar
2 Tbsps granulated sugar
6 eggs
3 green onions/scallions, sliced
1/4 tsp white pepper
Drizzle of sesame oil
2 Tbsps of chilli crisp (or more to your liking) – you can substitute with chilli oil instead

Directions:

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo).

Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1/2 Tbsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 30 minutes to allow excess water to be released. After 30 mins, discard the released cucumber water and place the cucumber in a mixing bowl.

Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, black vinegar, and sugar to the cucumbers. Mix everything together and let it marinate for another 30 minutes.

Make the eggs: While the cucumber and tomatoes are marinating, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Mix in green onions and a pinch of salt. Heat a pan on MED HIGH heat and add in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the pan get hot (it’ll be ready when the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke) then add a drop of egg. The oil is hot enough if the egg drop puffs up right away. Add in the rest of the egg mixture carefully and the edges should start to puff within a few seconds. Once the edges are slightly browned, use a spatula to gently move the egg around to cook evenly. You want big chunks of scrambled eggs that’s slightly crispy on the edges but still soft and moist (see photo). This should take less than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop the egg into the bowl with the marinating cucumber and tomatoes.

Add white pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a few spoonfuls of chilli crisp. Mix everything around, taste and adjust salt or sugar to taste. You should have a tangy, sweet, and salty dish. Serve immediately on a wide bottom dish so the liquid pools outwards.

Summarized Recipe:

Asian Smashed Cucumber Tomato Egg Salad

Ingredients:

1 cucumber (English hothouse – those long ones)
1/2 Tbsps cooking salt
A large handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup black vinegar
2 Tbsps granulated sugar
6 eggs
3 green onions/scallions, sliced
1/4 tsp white pepper
Drizzle of sesame oil
2 Tbsps of chilli crisp (or more to your liking) – you can substitute with chilli oil instead

Directions:

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Use a large knife on its flat side to smash the cucumber until cracked then slice into bite sized pieces (see photo). Place the smashed cucumber in a strainer over a bowl and mix in 1/2 Tbsp of salt. Let the cucumber sit for 30 minutes to allow excess water to be released. After 30 mins, discard the released cucumber water and place the cucumber in a mixing bowl.
Add the sliced cherry tomatoes, minced garlic, black vinegar, and sugar to the cucumbers. Mix everything together and let it marinate for another 30 minutes.
Make the eggs: While the cucumber and tomatoes are marinating, crack the eggs into a bowl and whisk. Mix in green onions and a pinch of salt. Heat a pan on MED HIGH heat and add in enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Let the pan get hot (it’ll be ready when the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke) then add a drop of egg. The oil is hot enough if the egg drop puffs up right away. Add in the rest of the egg mixture carefully and the edges should start to puff within a few seconds. Once the edges are slightly browned, use a spatula to gently move the egg around to cook evenly. You want big chunks of scrambled eggs that’s slightly crispy on the edges but still soft and moist (see photo). This should take less than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and scoop the egg into the bowl with the marinating cucumber and tomatoes.
Add white pepper, a drizzle of sesame oil, and a few spoonfuls of chilli crisp. Mix everything around, taste and adjust salt or sugar to taste. You should have a tangy, sweet, and salty dish. Serve immediately on a wide bottom dish so the liquid pools outwards.

March 5, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Legit Tonkotsu Ramen from scratch (in an Instant Pot)

Date Published: Mar 3rd, 2024 | Last Updated: Mar 3rd, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, mains, soups
Serves: 4-6 | Prep time: 12 hours before to marinate | Cook time: 4.5 hours total

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A tonkotsu ramen is my all time favourite thing to eat, so I’m extra excited to be sharing this recipe with everyone! It’s a beautiful bowl of a rich pork bone broth with noodles, chashu, and a ramen egg. No matter what is happening in my life, a tonkotsu ramen will always make it better. When Toby and I travel, I’m always seeking out the local ramen spots – I must’ve had over a hundred bowls of ramen in my life time…so far.

I’ve always wanted to try making a tonkotsu ramen, however due to its long 12 hour cooking time, it’s complexities (ramen shops will use a refractometer to check their broth!), and having to source pork bones on the move, it has constantly been on the back burner. I’ve searched time and time again for a simplified recipe and even went as far as buying instant tonkotsu ramen to satisfy the cravings, but I’ve never succeeded in finding anything that was close to restaurant quality – until now! Recently I stumbled across a ramen subreddit where u/ramen_lord posted his version of a tonkotsu ramen but made in an Instant Pot in 3 hours (find original recipe here)! This made it much less intimidating for me and I decided to try it out. Amazingly, the recipe turned out near perfect the first time and after the second time, Toby said it was the best tonkotsu ramen he’s ever had. It was THAT good! If you’re ever reading this, thank you u/ramen_lord! (If you check out the original link, he also gives a recipe at making your own ramen noodles.)

Although it is a long recipe, each step and component is pretty easy and straightforward, so I’d encourage you to give it a try if you’re a ramen lover like me!

What Makes up a Tonkotsu Ramen?

A traditional tonkotsu ramen is made up of 6 major components, and yes, all of them are included in this very thorough monster recipe!

1. Chashu – pork belly slices

Chashu is a Japanese-style savoury pork belly that is braised the day before and marinated overnight. This is the main protein of the dish. Due to its fatty richness, it is usually served in thin slices and in small portions. This recipe will make about 2-3 slices per bowl. If you’re big on pork belly, then double the chashu portion of the recipe!

Note: Japanese chashu differs from the Chinese-style Charsiu which is barbecue pork rather than braised pork.

2. Ramen egg – a marinated boiled egg with a perfectly soft jammy centre

A ramen egg is a specific style of egg served in a bowl of ramen. It is always soft to medium-boiled to ensure a jammy velvety centre then marinated in a savoury sauce – I marinate mine in the chashu marinade overnight. Make sure you have a timer ready when you cook the eggs to ensure the perfect soft centre.

The ramen egg is always my favourite part of a bowl of ramen (my family would agree with me). For some reason, Toby is not a huge fan of eggs in general, so every time we go out for ramen he always gives me his egg! Lucky me 😊🙃❤️.

3. Tonkotsu broth – a rich and creamy pork bone broth

This is the star of the show. “Tonkotsu” literally translates to “pork bone”, which adequately names this ramen dish. The traditional method of making a tonkotsu broth is to boil the pork bones on high heat for 12 hours then add in aromatics. It is a long and arduous process which is why I’ve avoided making this recipe for so long. This recipe uses the Instant Pot pressure cooker to bring down the cook time to just 3 hours and produces restaurant-quality results!

A classic tonkotsu broth is creamy and rich due to the breakdown of the gelatin in the pork bones. Some recipes will blend pork fat and add it to the broth to make it even more creamy. For the sake of my cholesterol, there is no extra blended fat in this recipe. The broth here is just as good without it.

The colour of a tonkotsu broth should be opaque and milky white. Traditionally the pork bones are cleaned thoroughly by boiling them and removing the scum that is released and then scrubbing them clean before the broth is even started. Many purists out there will insist that you must clean the bones this way or else your broth will never be white. My first time making this recipe I cleaned the bones this way. Although it took extra time, it did produce a white broth. However after further research, I realized that you can also just roast the bones in the oven rather than scrubbing them clean and you still get the same results but with much less work. I tried it both ways and the results were quite similar. The oven roasting method produced a very slightly darker broth, however I’m sure that if I blended more of it in the blender, the results would be the same. Myth busted!

*Note: Tonkotsu is not to be confused with “tonkatsu” which is a breaded and fried pork cutlet

4. Tare – the flavour enhancer/salt of the dish

The tonkotsu broth alone lacks salt and umami flavour but when combined with the tare, it makes the perfect broth. Tare differs greatly between ramen shops and even between chefs. It can range from a simple mix of sauces to an incredibly complex recipe. It’s a chef’s signature to make a dish uniquely theirs. This recipe is a simplified version that’s essentially soy sauce marinated with mushrooms, seaweed, and dried fish.

5. Ramen noodles

Ramen noodles are different than regular noodles. They are alkaline and has a distinct taste with a slight chewy/bounce texture. To stay true to the authenticity of a tonkotsu ramen, I’d recommend taking the extra effort to find ramen noodles – you’re putting in all this effort to make it all from scratch anyway!

When looking for ramen noodles, try to buy them either freshly made or in the frozen section. Avoid the dehydrated dried noodles that are labeled as ‘ramen noodles’ – I’ve tried a few different kinds in the past and they’re just not the same.

My favourite ramen noodles are made from Sun Noodle and they come in medium or thick noodles (see picture). This one package has 2 servings – it doesn’t seem like much, but it definitely expands when cooking!

Myojo is another brand of ramen noodles I’ve heard good things about, but never tried myself.

6. Toppings

There is a wide variety of toppings you can add to your ramen. I’ve put some examples in the recipe below, but feel free to add in whatever you like. Different restaurants will have different offerings of what you can add – it all depends on personal preference. A few examples of toppings include: bean sprouts, corn, seaweed, sliced wood ear fungus, fresh garlic, chili paste, chopped green onion…etc.

Happy cooking!

Equipment you’ll need:

Pressure cooker (at least 8 quarts in size)
Cooking twine
Small pot with lid/saucepan

Ingredients you’ll need:

Chashu (Pork Belly): MAKE THE DAY BEFORE
- 500g (1.5lbs) pork belly with the skin on or off – this will be enough for 2-3 slices per portion. Feel free to double the chashu recipe if you want to serve more.
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce (ie. Kikkoman)
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 2 Tbsps brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
Ramen Egg: MAKE THE DAY BEFORE
- 4-6 eggs (depending on how many people you’re serving)
Broth:
- 1kg (2 lbs) pork neck bones (you want some meat to be attached to the bones for extra flavour)
- 1kg (2 lbs) pork femur bones (make sure the larger leg bones are split so the bone marrow is exposed) – if you can’t find femur bones, you can use all neck bones
- 12 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 small brown onion, peeled and quartered
- 4cm piece of ginger, sliced (don’t worry about peeling it)
- 2 green onions, cut into thirds
Tare:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 1.5 Tbsps (25ml) mirin
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) sake
- 4g kombu (dried kelp)
- 3g dried porcini mushrooms
- 3g sababushi/dried mackerel, or katsuobushi/bonito flakes, or niboshi/dried anchovies – I had a difficulty sourcing these in my neighbourhood, so any of these will work to give it an umami fishy flavour
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Japanese soy sauce (ie. Kikkoman)
- 2.5 tsps (15g) kosher salt
- 1.5 tsps (5g) brown sugar
4-6 portions of ramen noodles, premade
Additional Toppings (optional):
- Sliced green onion
- Wood ear mushrooms
- Seaweed
- Bean sprouts

Directions:

THE DAY BEFORE:

A) Make the chashu:

Make sure the pork belly is at room temperature (take it out of the fridge at least 30mins prior).

Roll the pork belly into a cylinder with the layers visible on the side (see photo) and tie tightly with cooking twine so it stays in shape.

Take out a saucepan with a lid and add in the rest of the the chashu ingredients: water, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic. Place the tied up pork belly in the middle of the saucepan.

Turn the heat on to HIGH and let the sauce come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and let it simmer with the lid on for 90 minutes. Turn the pork belly every 20 minutes so it gets evenly braised in the sauce.

When there’s 20 minutes left to your cook time, preheat your oven to 220˚C (425˚F) and prepare a baking tray with a wire rack.

Once the 90 minutes is up, turn off the heat and take out the pork belly (keeping the remaining sauce aside) and place it on the rack over a baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the outside is a dark caramel colour.

When the pork belly is done, take it out of the oven and place it in a heat-proof container (make sure there’s enough room for the eggs as well). Pour the leftover sauce over and let the pork belly marinate in the sauce overnight. If the marinade doesn’t surround the pork belly, either use a smaller container or turn the pork belly halfway through for even marination. A vacuum-sealed plastic bag works well as well.

Vacuum-seal bags will help marinate it better by allowing the sauce to surround the meat and eggs

B) Make the ramen eggs: (you can do this step while you’re waiting for the pork belly to cook)

Bring a small pot of water to boil. Gently lower all 4 eggs into the boiling water and start a timer for 7 minutes. Adjust the heat if the water is boiling too rapidly to avoid the eggs from knocking around in the pot.

While you’re waiting, prepare an ice bath for the eggs. Once the timer is up, turn off the heat and immediately submerge all the eggs into the ice bath. Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, remove all of the shells.

Place the peeled boiled eggs into the same container as the pork belly and marinate together overnight. If the sauce does not surround the egg, turn the eggs halfway through for even marination. A vacuum-sealed plastic bag works well as well. Do not marinate for longer than 2-3 days or else the egg will become too salty.

THE DAY OF:

C) Make the tonkotsu broth:

Preheat oven to 220˚C (425˚F)

The bones will have a dark brown char after baking in the oven

Roast the bones: Prepare a large lined baking tray. Rinse the pork bones and place them all in one layer of the tray (do not overlap the bones). Use a second tray if they don’t all fit into one. Roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, turning the bones once halfway through the cook time. After 40 minutes, turn off the oven. You should have a dark brown char on the bones.

Make sure you put in everything from the pan, including the brown bits

Cook the broth: Place the roasted bones along with any browned bits or liquids from the tray (these will add extra flavour) into your Instant Pot. Add enough water to cover the bones by 2-3cm (roughly 3 litres). Turn the Instant Pot on to a sauté setting and set the heat to HIGH. Once the water comes to a boil, cancel the setting and put the lid on. Turn on the pressure cook setting to HIGH and cook for 2 hours. (You can start making the tare or prepare any additional toppings during this time as you wait.) When the timer finishes, quick release the pressure – be careful of any spurting of liquids from the vent! When it is safe to do so, remove the lid carefully.

Add in aromatics & free the bone marrow: Add in garlic, ginger, green onion and onion into the broth. Use a chopstick and scrape out any bone marrow from the bones and let the marrow boil freely in the soup alongside the bones.

Boiling the broth for the final hour – lid on or lid off will depend on how rich it is after the Instant Pot

Taste for richness and Reduce (if needed): At this point the broth will taste quite bland since there as been no added salt and the aromatics were just introduced. Ignore the need to want to add in salt right now – it will come later. You want to taste for the texture of the broth, not the flavour. How creamy your broth is at this stage will dictate how you cook down your broth (the texture will vary greatly depending on the mix of bones you started with – it varies every time I make it):

If your broth is watery: turn on the sauté setting on the Instant Pot and set to MED heat so the soup boils moderately. Let it boil uncovered for 1 hour to reduce the broth and increase in concentration/richness. Taste at the end of 1 hour – you can let it boil for longer if needed.

If your broth is rich & creamy: add a lid on to the Instant Pot (or transfer to a regular soup pot with a lid) and let the soup boil on MED heat for 1 hour to release the flavour of the aromatics but to still contain all the liquid.

You will need to boil the broth for 1 hour regardless of how rich your broth is. The difference is whether you keep the lid on or off to control how much liquid is evaporated. If you’re unsure, then start boiling without a lid, then taste after 30 minutes, or have the lid half-on so it only reduces slightly. Once your broth is rich enough then put the lid on and finish boiling until the 1 hour timer is up.

Strain: After an hour, turn off the heat and strain the broth into a clean pot. Discard the bones, aromatics, and any floaters that you have strained out. You should now have a pale brown opaque broth. Do not worry if your broth is not a lighter colour – it will lighten up in the next step.

Blend – the magic step that makes the broth extra creamy and white: Remove roughly a quarter of the amount of broth into a blender and blend it on HIGH until you get a very smooth, white, and creamy texture. Add this back into the rest of the broth and mix well. Taste again for the texture.

If you find that it is too creamy, add hot water a cup at a time until desired consistency.

If you want it creamer and whiter, add more broth into the blender and blend again on HIGH and add it back into the broth until desired consistency.

Resist the urge to add salt – the final taste test will be at the end with the combination of the tare (salty goodness) with with broth together. The tonkotsu broth is now complete! If you still need more time to prepare the rest of the toppings or tare, then keep the soup on low heat to keep it hot until ready to serve.

D) Make the tare: (do this while you’re waiting for the broth to cook)

In a small pan, add the water, mirin, sake, kombu, porcini, and sababushi. Turn the heat on to HIGH. When it starts to boil, turn the heat off and let it steep for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, remove the kombu, add in the soy sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG. Whisk until dissolved. Turn the heat back on to HIGH until it starts to boil, then turn it off again and let it steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain before using. You can store this in the fridge for up to 6 months.

E) Cook the noodles, prepare the rest of the toppings: (you can do this in the final 10-15 minutes of your broth cooking)

Chashu and ramen egg: Remove the twine from the chashu and thinly slice it while still chilled (it will be easier to get neater cuts). Cut each egg in half to reveal the jammy egg yolk centre. Set aside.

Noodles: Cook the noodles according to package instructions and strain when finished.

Wood ear mushrooms: Soak the wood ear mushrooms in a bowl of boiling hot water for at least 15 minutes or until softened and expanded. Remove from the water, rinse, and slice. Set aside.

Green onion: Thinly slice one green onion for garnish. Set aside.

Seaweed: Cut your seaweed to desired sizes for serving.

F) Assemble the ramen: (finally!)

Divide the noodles equally into the serving bowls if not done so already.

Add 2 ladles of the tonkotsu broth over the noodles. Top with sliced chashu, ramen egg, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and green onion to garnish. Add a 3 tablespoons of tare over top (or more if you prefer it saltier). ENJOY!

Summarized Recipe:

Legit Tonkotsu Ramen from scratch (in an Instant Pot)

Equipment you’ll need:

Pressure cooker (at least 8 quarts in size)
Cooking twine
Small pot with lid/saucepan

Ingredients you’ll need:

Chashu (Pork Belly): MAKE THE DAY BEFORE
- 500g (1.5lbs) pork belly with the skin on or off – this will be enough for 2-3 slices per portion. Feel free to double the chashu recipe if you want to serve more.
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup Japanese soy sauce (ie. Kikkoman)
- 1/4 cup mirin
- 2 Tbsps brown sugar
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
Ramen Egg: MAKE THE DAY BEFORE
- 4-6 eggs (depending on how many people you’re serving)
Broth:
- 1kg (2 lbs) pork neck bones (you want some meat to be attached to the bones for extra flavour)
- 1kg (2 lbs) pork femur bones (make sure the larger leg bones are split so the bone marrow is exposed) – if you can’t find femur bones, you can use all neck bones
- 12 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 small brown onion, peeled and quartered
- 4cm piece of ginger, sliced (don’t worry about peeling it)
- 2 green onions, cut into thirds
Tare:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) water
- 1.5 Tbsps (25ml) mirin
- 1 Tbsp (15ml) sake
- 4g kombu (dried kelp)
- 3g dried porcini mushrooms
- 3g sababushi/dried mackerel, or katsuobushi/bonito flakes, or niboshi/dried anchovies – I had a difficulty sourcing these in my neighbourhood, so any of these will work to give it an umami fishy flavour
- 1/2 cup (120ml) Japanese soy sauce (ie. Kikkoman)
- 2.5 tsps (15g) kosher salt
- 1.5 tsps (5g) brown sugar
4-6 portions of ramen noodles, premade
Additional Toppings (optional):
- Sliced green onion
- Wood ear mushrooms
- Seaweed
- Bean sprouts

Directions:

THE DAY BEFORE:

A) Make the chashu:
1. Make sure the pork belly is at room temperature (take it out of the fridge at least 30mins prior).
2. Roll the pork belly into a cylinder with the layers visible on the side (see photo) and tie tightly with cooking twine so it stays in shape.
3. Take out a saucepan with a lid and add in the rest of the the chashu ingredients: water, soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, garlic. Place the tied up pork belly in the middle of the saucepan.
4. Turn the heat on to HIGH and let the sauce come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and let it simmer with the lid on for 90 minutes. Turn the pork belly every 20 minutes so it gets evenly braised in the sauce.
5. When there’s 20 minutes left to your cook time, preheat your oven to 220˚C (425˚F) and prepare a baking tray with a wire rack.
6. Once the 90 minutes is up, turn off the heat and take out the pork belly (keeping the remaining sauce aside) and place it on the rack over a baking tray and roast in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the outside is a dark caramel colour. When the pork belly is done, take it out of the oven and place it in a heat-proof container (make sure there’s enough room for the eggs as well). Pour the leftover sauce over and let the pork belly marinate in the sauce overnight. If the marinade doesn’t surround the pork belly, either use a smaller container or turn the pork belly halfway through for even marination. A vacuum-sealed plastic bag works well as well.
B) Make the ramen eggs: (you can do this step while you’re waiting for the pork belly to cook)
1. Bring a small pot of water to boil. Gently lower all 4 eggs into the boiling water and start a timer for 7 minutes. Adjust the heat if the water is boiling too rapidly to avoid the eggs from knocking around in the pot.
2. While you’re waiting, prepare an ice bath for the eggs. Once the timer is up, turn off the heat and immediately submerge all the eggs into the ice bath. Once the eggs are cool enough to handle, remove all of the shells.
3. Place the peeled boiled eggs into the same container as the pork belly and marinate together overnight. If the sauce does not surround the egg, turn the eggs halfway through for even marination. A vacuum-sealed plastic bag works well as well. Do not marinate for longer than 2-3 days or else the egg will become too salty.

THE DAY OF:

C) Make the tonkotsu broth:
1. Preheat oven to 220˚C (425˚F)
2. Roast the bones: Prepare a large lined baking tray. Rinse the pork bones and place them all in one layer of the tray (do not overlap the bones). Use a second tray if they don’t all fit into one. Roast in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, turning the bones once halfway through the cook time. After 40 minutes, turn off the oven. You should have a dark brown char on the bones.
3. Cook the broth: Place the roasted bones along with any browned bits or liquids from the tray (these will add extra flavour) into your Instant Pot. Add enough water to cover the bones by 2-3cm (roughly 3 litres). Turn the Instant Pot on to a sauté setting and set the heat to HIGH. Once the water comes to a boil, cancel the setting and put the lid on. Turn on the pressure cook setting to HIGH and cook for 2 hours. (You can start making the tare or prepare any additional toppings during this time as you wait.) When the timer finishes, quick release the pressure – be careful of any spurting of liquids from the vent! When it is safe to do so, remove the lid carefully.
4. Add in aromatics & free the bone marrow: Add in garlic, ginger, green onion and onion into the broth. Use a chopstick and scrape out any bone marrow from the bones and let the marrow boil freely in the soup alongside the bones.
5. Taste for richness and Reduce (if needed): At this point the broth will taste quite bland since there as been no added salt and the aromatics were just introduced. Ignore the need to want to add in salt right now – it will come later. You want to taste for the texture of the broth, not the flavour. How creamy your broth is at this stage will dictate how you cook down your broth (the texture will vary greatly depending on the mix of bones you started with – it varies every time I make it):
  - If your broth is watery: turn on the sauté setting on the Instant Pot and set to MED heat so the soup boils moderately. Let it boil uncovered for 1 hour to reduce the broth and increase in concentration/richness. Taste at the end of 1 hour – you can let it boil for longer if needed.
  - If your broth is rich & creamy: add a lid on to the Instant Pot (or transfer to a regular soup pot with a lid) and let the soup boil on MED heat for 1 hour to release the flavour of the aromatics but to still contain all the liquid.
  - You will need to boil the broth for 1 hour regardless of how rich your broth is. The difference is whether you keep the lid on or off to control how much liquid is evaporated. If you’re unsure, then start boiling without a lid, then taste after 30 minutes, or have the lid half-on so it only reduces slightly. Once your broth is rich enough then put the lid on and finish boiling until the 1 hour timer is up.
6. Strain: After an hour, turn off the heat and strain the broth into a clean pot. Discard the bones, aromatics, and any floaters that you have strained out. You should now have a pale brown opaque broth. Do not worry if your broth is not a lighter colour – it will lighten up in the next step.
7. Blend – the magic step that makes the broth extra creamy and white: Remove roughly a quarter of the amount of broth into a blender and blend it on HIGH until you get a very smooth, white, and creamy texture. Add this back into the rest of the broth and mix well. Taste again for the texture.
  - If you find that it is too creamy, add hot water a cup at a time until desired consistency.
  - If you want it creamer and whiter, add more broth into the blender and blend again on HIGH and add it back into the broth until desired consistency.
  - Resist the urge to add salt – the final taste test will be at the end with the combination of the tare (salty goodness) with with broth together. The tonkotsu broth is now complete! If you still need more time to prepare the rest of the toppings or tare, then keep the soup on low heat to keep it hot until ready to serve.
D) Make the tare: (do this while you’re waiting for the broth to cook)
1. In a small pan, add the water, mirin, sake, kombu, porcini, and sababushi. Turn the heat on to HIGH. When it starts to boil, turn the heat off and let it steep for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, remove the kombu, add in the soy sauce, salt, sugar, and MSG. Whisk until dissolved. Turn the heat back on to HIGH until it starts to boil, then turn it off again and let it steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain before using. You can store this in the fridge for up to 6 months.
E) Cook the noodles, prepare the rest of the toppings: (you can do this in the final 10-15 minutes of your broth cooking)
1. Chashu and ramen egg: Remove the twine from the chashu and thinly slice it while still chilled (it will be easier to get neater cuts). Cut each egg in half to reveal the jammy egg yolk centre. Set aside.
2. Wood ear mushrooms: Soak the wood ear mushrooms in a bowl of boiling hot water for at least 15 minutes or until softened and expanded. Remove from the water, rinse, and slice. Set aside.
3. Noodles: Cook the noodles according to package instructions, strain, and even divide into serving bowls.
4. Green onion: Thinly slice one green onion for garnish. Set aside.
5. Seaweed: Cut your seaweed to desired sizes for serving.
F) Assemble the ramen: (finally!)
1. Divide the noodles equally into the serving bowls if not done so already.
2. Add 2 ladles of the tonkotsu broth over the noodles.
3. Top with sliced chashu, ramen egg, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed, and green onion to garnish. Add a 3 tablespoons of tare over top (or more if you prefer it saltier). ENJOY!

March 3, 2024March 3, 2024

Abby4 Comments