Basic Ramen Toppings

It's time to make Ramen Toppings!  Don't try to do this all in 1 day - follow my step by step process for an easier way to make ramen at home.

Step 1: Make Miso Ramen Soup Base - keeping in mind there are 3 other basic soups I will show you later:

Shio - salt based, Shoyu - soy sauce based, and Tonkotsu - pork bone based

Step 2:  Make Homemade Ramen Noodles or buy fresh ones at the store

Step 3: Make Ramen Toppings

Here's a list of basic ramen toppings that you use at your discretion at any time along with those that require some time to make.  There's no hard and fast rule for what to top your ramen with, but what's most traditional are negi or Japanese green onion (use what's available to you), a half-cooked egg, chashu (braised pork), menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), sweet corn, kamaboko (Japanese fish cake) and roasted nori (seaweed).  In Japan, toppings as well as soup bases vary by region but here in America, anything goes.  I'll start by giving you the recipes for Chashu, Kakuni, Menma, Eggs 3 Ways and Roasting Nori.  Have fun and add what you like to make your own unique variation!

• Basic Condiments: white pepper, shoyu (soy sauce), shichimi-togarashi (mixed chili pepper spice), chili paste, fresh garlic, vinegar, chili oil, sesame seeds, curry powder

• Basic Toppings - negi (green onion), sweet corn, parsley, butter, onions, kimchee, yuzu citrus, bean sprouts, spinach, ginger, mushrooms (shitake, kirurage), and kamaboko (Japanese fish cake)

• Topping that require recipes -

  • Chashu (braised pork) – sweet, Chinese style

  • Kakuni (slow cooked pork belly cut into cubes and braised)

  • Menma (seasoned bamboo shoots)

  • Eggs 3 ways

    • Marinated half-cooked eggs

    • Poached eggs

    • Tamagoyaki (Japanese omelet)

  • Roasted Nori (seaweed)

  • Beni Shoga (pickled ginger)

  • Mayu (black garlic oil)

  • Roasted garlic butter

  • Miso butter

  • Garlic chips

  • Fried onion

  • Fried string potatoes

Roasted Nori

Roasted Nori (Seaweed) Makes as much as you need

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Prep time: 2 minutes

These days you can find roasted and flavored seaweed in grocery stores, coffee shops, even vending machines. I prefer to roast my own because I feel like some of the varieties out there are too oily or don’t stay crispy when you eat it with steamed rice. If you purchase a package of seaweed made for sushi in big sheets, you can roast these over an open gas flame in seconds. I promise you'll never go back to those instant packs. These are crispier, tastier and you can make much more for the cost.

Ingredients:

Japanese nori (seaweed) in sheets

cooking spray or sesame oil

Directions:

1. Spray both sides of each sheet of seaweed with cooking spray or take a folded paper towel with some sesame oil on it to apply.
2. Over a low flame on a gas stove, gently waft the seaweed back and forth on both sides until the seaweed crisps up.
3. Set the finished roasted seaweed sheets on a paper towel and repeat with additional sheets.
4. Sprinkle each sheet with sea salt and stack them about 4 or 5 high.
5. Cut into fourths with a sharp chef's knife or with kitchen shears.

Here's a short tutorial video on how it's done! http://youtu.be/4nbZ4g3wFCM