Ham Hock Ramen With Shiitake

Recipes & food styling Ginny Grant
Photography Aaron McLean
Styling Jessica Crowe

	FOR THE STOCK
	1-2 ham hocks (depending on how meaty you want it)
	6 dried shiitake or other Asian dried mushroom, soaked in warm water for 20 minutes
	4 slices of ginger
	green part of 1 leek
	SHOYU TARE
	100ml soy sauce
	50ml shiitake soaking liquid
	2 teaspoons sake
	2 teaspoons mirin
	1 sachet instant dashi
	1 teaspoon sugar
	SOY SAUCE EGGS
	100ml soy sauce
	100ml mirin
	100ml cooking sake
	2 teaspoons sugar
	4 eggs, room temperature
	SPICY LEEKS
	14cm piece leek (white part only)
	2 teaspoons Toban djan (chilli bean paste)
	2 teaspoons sesame oil
	FOR FINISHING & TO SERVE
	8 stem-on baby spinach (or approx 100g baby spinach leaves)
	4 portions dried ramen noodles (or use buckwheat soba)

1.	FOR THE STOCK
2.	Put the ham in a large stock pot with the soaked mushrooms, ginger slices and the green part of the leek.
3.	Cover with water (at least 1.5 litres).
4.	Bring up to a simmer and cook over a gentle heat for 2-2½ hours or until the ham hock is tender.
5.	If preferred you could cook the ham hock in a pressure cooker for 40 minutes, then do a natural release.
6.	Remove the ham hock and, when cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the skin.
7.	Strain the stock, but reserve the mushrooms.
8.	When cool enough to handle, discard the stems and slice the caps.
9.	Set aside.
10.	SHOYU TARE
11.	Put the soy sauce, shiitake soaking liquid, sake and mirin in a small pan.
12.	Bring up to a simmer and cook for 1 minute.
13.	Turn off the heat, add the dashi and sugar and stir to dissolve.
14.	Cool before using.
15.	This will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
16.	SOY SAUCE EGGS
17.	In a small pan, bring the soy sauce, mirin, cooking sake and sugar up to a simmer, cook for 1 minute then set aside to cool.
18.	Cook the eggs in boiling water for 6 minutes 30 seconds, then plunge into an ice bath for 15 minutes to cool.
19.	Peel and put into a small container or a small plastic bag so the eggs are completely covered in marinade.
20.	Marinate for a minimum of 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
21.	Remove from the marinade and use within 2-3 days.
22.	Slice in half to use.
23.	SPICY LEEKS
24.	Cut the leek into thin strips going with the grain.
25.	Blanch in a pan of boiling water for 1 minute, drain well and put into iced water for 10 minutes.
26.	Drain well and mix well with the toban djan and sesame oil.
27.	FOR FINISHING & TO SERVE
28.	Gently heat the stock with the ham and cook until heated through.
29.	Take a large pot, big enough to cook the ramen, add boiling water and blanch the spinach, then scoop out with a spider and set aside.
30.	In the same pan, cook the ramen noodles according to packet directions (usually about 4 minutes), adding a cupful of cold water if it looks in danger of frothing over.
31.	In each of four bowls, add 2 tablespoons of the shoyu tare and divide the noodles between the bowls with a couple of ladlefuls of the broth.
32.	Combine well, then add extra broth, shredded ham and sliced shiitake, some blanched spinach and the halved eggs.
33.	Top with the spicy leeks and serve immediately.
34.	VEGETARIAN
35.	Omit the ham hocks and use a few pieces of kombu in the broth, adding extra flavourings such as onion and garlic in the base.
36.	Simmer for 30 minutes.
37.	Omit the dashi in the tare and instead, when adding to the bowls, you might like to mix it with some miso and Japanese sesame paste or tahini.
38.	Add other vegetables and tofu.

GINNY GRANT

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