Ingredients
Directions 12 steps | 50 Minutes
Prepare the brine. In a bowl, whisk the salt and water into the water until dissolved.
Cut the head of the garlic in half and break it apart into pieces. Add the garlic into the brine along with the soy sauce and lime slices.
Brine the scallops. Remove the foot of each scallop. Place all the scallops into the brine and let sit for 30 mins.
Make the broth. In pot over medium heat, add the butter and the garlic. Cook the garlic until aromatic but not brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
Deglaze the pot with the sake and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the chicken broth, yellow miso, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard, sugar and hon-dashi. Taste the broth and season to taste with salt.
Shave the cabbage thinly with a knife. Transfer the shaved cabbage into the pot. Bring the ramen broth to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes and turn off the heat.
Cook the ramen noodles. Fill a second pot with hot water and bring to a boil. Once the water reaches a boil, add the ramen noodles. Cook for 1–2 minutes, or according to the package’s instructions. Be careful not to overcook.
Drain the noodles in a colander in the sink. Make sure they are drained well.
Bring the broth to a boil. Add the shrimp and allow the broth to boil until the shrimp are completely pink and cooked, around 3-5 minutes.
Bring the broth down to a gentle simmer. Add the scallops to the broth and poach the scallops in the broth before serving.
Add the drained hot noodles into four warmed bowls. Add the hot broth on top of the noodles and add the shrimp, scallops and nori to each bowl. Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and serve. Enjoy!
Notes:
- This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt. If using Morton's, use ½ tablespoon. Different kosher salt brands have varied crystal sizes and may affect the salinity of the recipe, so adjust accordingly.
- Nantucket scallops are the best. You might be able to get them from Whole Foods or Wegmans. If not, Cape scallops are great, too. If not, 10-20 scallops (meaning 10-20 scallops per pound) will work just fine.
- Miso can be found at most Asian grocery stores and mainstream supermarkets. You are looking for lighter colored miso, either yellow or white work best.
- Maille is my go-to for mustard. If you can’t find Maille, I suggest using “strong” mustard.
- Hon-dashi is readily available at Asian markets such as H-Mart.
- Fresh ramen noodles may be found in the Asian markets and some grocery stores in the refrigerated section. My personal favorite is Sun Noodles. You can easily find them in H-Mart and Wegmans. Many ramen shops in the Boston area source their ramen from Sun Noodle, such as Little Big Diner in Newton Center. Sometimes the fresh noodles might be in the frozen section. Dried ramen noodles can be found in most supermarkets. As a last resort, you could use the instant ramen noodle packs and make your broth with the seasoning packet. Once again, fresh ramen noodles are best.
- If you can’t find any Taiwanese cabbages, do not substitute red cabbage! Most essential is selecting Taiwanese cabbage, which is different from the more common savoy, white, red or standard North American green. Flat, smooth, and the size of a small kitchen appliance, it’s not uncommon for them to weigh in at 6 pounds a head or more. Much sweeter and crisper than most drab coleslaw fodder, it has the integrity to speak for itself in such a bold feature.
- The ramen should be cooked and served right away. If you have leftovers, make sure the ramen is completely cooled and stored in a plastic container in the fridge. To reheat, add the ramen to a pot and bring it to boil.
- To improvise, you could add different vegetables to this dish. Check out your fridge now! Depending on the time of year, some fresh seasonal vegetables cut into bite-size pieces would work amazingly in this dish.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Leave a review or join the conversation.