RAMEN! 2.0

Remember all that big talk I talked on March 10th? Well, I did it last Saturday and pulled it off through sheer willpower and endurance over the course of 2 and 1/2 very long days. It'll most likely take me a little bit longer to finish blogging about my entire experience in terms of calendar time (No, I don't stay up until 6:40 AM the next morning to blog). Anyway, here is my usual "ingredients" list, but keep in mind that this is actually a list of components that I had to prep for the dish. In the case of the broth itself, prep entailed at least nine hours. It was somewhat frustrating to not be done cooking and see dawn rising through the kitchen windows.
I will note which Day of Prep (there were 3) I prepared each individual component. My subsequent execution-related entries will correspond to each day.

(from Momofuku)

• 2 cups Ramen Broth [Day 1]
• Taré, kosher salt, and/or mirin if needed [I certainly wasn't going to take any shortcuts so I made the Taré on Day 1. I did wind up using all of it when it came to the general seasoning of the Ramen Broth.]
• 5 to 6 ounces fresh ramen noodles (but trust me, you don't need to make these) [I picked up a bunch of lomein noodles in Chinatown.]
• 2 to 3 slices Pork Belly [Day 2]
• Two 3-by-3 sheets nori (cut from larger sheets)
• 1/4 cup thinly slice scallions (greens and whites)
• 2 thin slices store-bought fish cake [subbed fish balls here]
• 4 or 5 pieces Bamboo Shoots (Yes, I had to prep these. See Day 2.]
• 1/4 cup Seasonal Vegetables [Day 3]
• 1 Slow-Poached Egg [Day 3]

Additionally I also pickled shitakes on Day 2 because I couldn't just throw out the shitakes I made the broth with on Day 1. I doubt I would've anyway, but this was also a way to re-purpose 4 cups of reconstituted dried black mushrooms into the recipe everyone at the party asked me for.


$150 worth of groceries. I made trips to the Savenor's in Boston, Whole Foods in the Charles River Plaza, C-Mart in Chinatown, and the Stop & Shop in Jackson Square. One trip, I guesstimate perhaps 3 hours on Day 1 of prep (glargh). Backbreaking enough even with my new North Face backpack.
Not sure how I would've managed without it. Several trips? Eh...