Bear Cuisine

Miso Ramen

MISO RAMEN

This is another great recipe from Takashi Yagihashi. It looks complicated, but isn't--especially if you make the Miso Base ahead of time. This dish is usually associated with the colder months, but I like it anytime of year.

MISO RAMEN

( 4 servings)

Miso Base

1. 2 tablespoons sesame oil
2. 1/2 cup minced onion
3. 2 tablespoons grated ginger
4. 1/4 cup minced garlic
5. 1 cup ground pork (about 8 ounces)
6. 1/2 cup shiro miso (white miso)
7. 1/4 cup ada miso (red miso)
8. 1/4 cup ground sesame seeds
9. 5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
10. 1 tablespoon tobanjan (Chinese chili paste)
11. 3 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce

 Miso Ramen

1. 8 cups Ramen Chicken Stock (recipe to follow)
2. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3. 8 cups bean sprouts
4. 2/3 cup garlic chives, cut into 1-inch lengths
5. 4 (7-ounce picese frozen ramen noodles
6. 1/2 cup drained canned sweet corn
7. 4 teaspoons ground sesame seeds
8. Pinch os sansho pepper (Japanese pepper seedpods)
9. 2 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced on an angle

To make the miso base,combine the sesame oil, onion ginger and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes, or until the ingredients are soft and frangrant. Mix in the ground pork and increase the heat to medium. Cook for an additional 6 to 7 minutes, or until the pork is completely cooked through.

Stir in both misos, the sesame seeds, hoisin sauce, tobanjan,and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and set aside. Leftover miso base will keep refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

To make the ramen, combine the ramen chicken stock and 1 3/4 cup of the miso base in a pot set over high heat to make the miso broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover to keep warm. Place another large pot over high heat  filled with water and bring to a boil.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large, wide-bottomed pot over high. Add the bean sprouts and garlic chives and cook for 1 minute,stirring often. Add the miso broth and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.

Add the ramen noodles to the boiling water and cook , following package instructions. Drain well and divide among 4 bowls. Top each with one-fourth of the broth and vegetables. Garnish each bowl with 2 tablespoons of the corn kernels, 1 teaspoon of the ground sesame seeds, the sansho pepper and one-fourth of the sliced scallions. Serve hot.

RAMEN CHICKEN STOCK

(makes 4 quarts)

1. 4 quarts water
2. 4 pounds chicken bones
3. 1 3/4 cups peeled and chopped carrots
4. 1 1/2 cups chopped celery
5. 1 cup chopped leek, white part only
6. 1/4 green cabbage
7. 1/2 head garlic, halved horizontally
8. 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, smashed
9. 1 piece kombu, wiped with a damp cloth
10. 1/2 cup sake

Combine the water and chicken bones in a large, 10-quart stockpot. Set it over high heat and bring the water to a boil. Skim the surface well to remove any impurities.

Add the carrots, celery,cabbage, garlic,ginger, kombu and sake. Decrease the heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Add more water as needed to keep the liquid at the same level.

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve.

Store in the freezer until needed.

 

Pot Pie

I think I've discovered a pretty fool-proof formula for making a pot pie. Maybe the best thing about it is using up leftovers in the fridge and making a great-tasting dinner-- one that's a hit with the kid and the so-called grownups who live in our house. This time I was using up leftover roast turkey, but chicken would do as well.

 TURKEY POT PIE

(makes 3 or 4 individual servings)

• 2 cups veloute sauce
  
• 2 generous cups of chopped turkey (or chicken)
  
• 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into rounds
  
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, cut into quarters
  
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• a handful of frozen petite green peas
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Frozen puff pastry

Make the sauce (recipe follows). If you think it is too thick, thin it with a splash of Madeira.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the carrot rounds in a small amount of salted water until fork tender. Drain and set aside.

Quickly saute the quartered mushrooms in the 2 tablespoons of butter until they have given up their moisture.

Stir in the chopped turkey, carrots, mushrooms and peas. Check for seasoning.

Place a portion of the mixture into individual serving dishes. *Top with puff pastry which has been thawed for about 10 minutes. Cut the pastry to fit the tops of bowls and press into place, seal the edges.

Put into a preheated 350 degree oven and cook for 20 to 30 minutes (until the pastry is puffed and nicely browned).

*You can also put this into a 4 cup casserole and top with pastry. 

VELOUTE SAUCE

• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1/2 cup flour
  
• 3 cups of any stock (in this recipe I used Turkey stock)
  

Melt the butter in a heavy pan over medium heat. When it is hot and sizzling, add the flour and cook, stirring until the roux is pale brown and still a bit gritty. Take the roux off the heat and gradually add the stock, whisking constantly so that no lumps form. Return to the heat and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce for about 30 minutes over a very gentle heat. Makes about 2 cups.

This makes a delicious, deeply-flavored sauce.  It is a basic sauce in French cooking and it is probably safe to say that it should be in any serious cook's repertoire.

You can vary the ingredients to suit your taste and the contents of your refrigerator.

Roast Duck with Tomato-Caper Sauce

Roast Duck with Tomato-Caper Sauce 

For this dinner I used a Muscovy duck which is leaner than a Pekin duck. While there isn't as much fat on these birds, there is still enough to make for a tasty meal and cook the oven-roasted potatoes to a delicious golden-brown. I adapted a recipe which David Rosengarten printed in one of his 2005 newsletters.

Roasted Muscovy Duck

• one 4-5 pound Muscovy hen
  
• Duck Fat
  
• salt and pepper
  

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Smear the duck with duck fat and generously salt and pepper, inside and out. Place on a rack in a roasting pan, breast side up. Place in the oven.

After one hour increase the heat to 325 degrees, turn the duck breast side down and roast for another  hour. Remove the duck from the oven. Raise the oven temperature to 500 degrees.

When the temperature is reached, place the duck, breast side up, in the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let the duck rest 15 to 20 minutes. Carve and serve.

TOMATO-CAPER SAUCE

• 3 to 4 shallots, minced
• 1 tablespoon duck fat or oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 small jar caper (approximately 4 fluid ounces)
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• chicken broth

1. Place the shallots in a saucepan with the duck fat. Cook over medium heat until the shallots start to soften and become transparent. Sprinkle with flour and stir.

2. Add the jar of capers and their liquid to the pan.

3. Stir in the tomato paste with a little water and enough broth (about 2 cups) to make it the consistency you like. You should have ample sauce to pass around two or three times as seconds are served. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes at a simmer and serve with the chicken.

Serious Ragu

This is another great recipe from Canal House Cooking, Volume No. 2. This is one of those long, slow cooking recipes that results in a sauce with deep, complex flavors. Make it when you have the day to give to cooking and can enjoy the leisurely pace and rich aromas that will fill your house.

SERIOUS RAGU

(makes 2 to 3 quarts)

1. 2 pounds lamb necks or should lamb chops
   
2. 2 pounds pork spareribs
   
3. 2 pounds beef short ribs
   
4. Salt and pepper
   
5. Olive oil
   
6. 1 large yellow onion, diced
   
7. 1 large carot peeled and finely diced
   
8. 2 ribs celery, finely diced
   
9. 2 cloves garlic, sliced
   
10. 5 anchovy fillets, chopped
    
11. Grating of nutmeg
    
12. 1-2 cups white wine
    
13. One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
    
14. One 5-ounce can plan tomato sauce
    
15. Handful of fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
    

Use a paper towel to dry the meat. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a litlel oil in a very large heavy pt. Brown meat in batches over medium-high heat, removing it from the pot as it browns. Continue until all the meat is browned. Don't hurry this step. Remember that color equals flavor.

 BROWNING MEAT

Add a little more oil to the pot. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic and anchovies Cooking, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and nutmeg. Add the wine and cook for about 3 minutes.

COOKING THE AROMATICS

Return the browned meat to the pot Add the crushed tomatoes and tomato sauce, along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and slowly simmer the ragu for about 3 hours. Give it a stir from time to time; add more water i it looks like it is getting too thick.

Remove all the large pieces of meat from the to to a large cutting board. Discard all the bones and gristle and any of the meat that you don't like the look of. Finely chop the remaining meat and return it to the pot.

PREPARING THE MEAT FOR FINAL COOKING

Put the pot on the stove over low heat and barely simmer the ragu for another 2 hours.[At this point I transfered the sauce to a slow cooker and finished it in that.] Continue to add water if the sauce gets too thick. Just before serving, add parsley.

SAUCE IN ITS FINAL SIMMERING 

This sauce freezes well for later use.

 

Hearty Vegetable Broth

According to Lynne Rossetto Kasper, you can use this in any dish where you would normally use poultry or meat stock. The depth of flavor comes from browning the vegetables first. It freezes well for up to six months.

BRODO DI VERDURE

(makes about 3 1/2 quarts)

2 tablespoons fruity extra-virgin olive oil

2 large carrots, coarsely chopped

2 large celery stalks celery with leaves coarsely chopped

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned and coarsely chopped

3 large garlic cloves crushed

1 tablespoon dried basil

2/3 cup white wine

6 large romaine lettuce leaves, coarsely chopped

1 large ripe tomato, chopped, or 2 canned plum tomatoes

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

About 4 to 5 quarts of water

1 Heat the oil i a 12-inch saute pan or skillet (not nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onions and mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spatula, until the onions are golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and basil and cook a few seconds more. Add the wine and stir, scraping up any brown glaze in the bottom of the pan, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Transfer to and 8-quart pot.

2. Add the romaine, tomato (crushing the canned tomatoes as you add them), nutmeg and enough water to cover by 3 to 4 inches. Bring to a gentle bubble, partially cover, and simmer slowly about 1 1/2 hours.

3. Strain the broth into a large bowl, pressing down on the solids to extract as much flavor as possible. Cool and chill. Skim off any solidified oil from the broth's surface. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to use.

(Lynne Rossetto Kasper. The Italian Country Table. New York: Scribner's, 1999.)

Tip. I save scraps of vegetables --onion peels and skins, carrot peels, tomatoes just past it, celery ends-- and put them in a bag in the freezer. When I think I have enough, I take them out , put them in a pot, cover with water and simmer until the stock is ready. I don't use cabbage, cauliflower or broccoli. These are too strongly flavored and would give the stock on off flavor.