Vegetarian Ramen
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp black/white sesame seeds
1 ½ tsp red pepper flakes
Salt
4 scallions
1 2 inch piece ginger, peeled/sliced
2 Tbsp tomato paste
8 dried shitake mushrooms
1 piece dried kombu
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp soy sauce
4 baby bok choi, quartered lengthwise
4 5-oz packages fresh ramen noodles
For serving: Jammy eggs, toasted nori, cilantro
Directions:
Cook garlic and ¼ cup oil in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring often, until garlic is beginning to turn gold (about 3 mn). Stir in sesame seeds and cook until garlic is golden brown and crisp (1 mn). Transfer to small bowl and stir in red pepper flakes. Season with salt and set aside.
Thinly slice scallion greens and set aside for serving. Coarsely chop white and pale green parts. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in the same pot over medium-high. Cook the scallions with ginger until the scallions are charred in spots (4 mn). Add in tomato paste and cook until it begins to darken and stick (2 mn). Add mushrooms and kombu, then stir in 5 c cold water. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Let sit until mushrooms soften (10 mn). Remove and discard kombu.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer solids to blender. Add a few ladles of broth and puree until smooth. Stir puree back into broth and bring to a simmer over med. Heat. Add butter one piece at a time, whisking to combine each one before adding more. Stir in soy sauce and season with salt. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add bok choy and cook until bright green/tender (2 mn). Transfer bok choy to a plate and return water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and divide among bowls.
Ladle broth over noodles, and top with bok choy and garlic oil. Add eggs, nori, cilantro, etc.