It's a Ramen Thing

I’m feeling a little sensitive today as I was out at my friend Maeve’s house for dinner last night. She cooked the most amazing curry and it was perfect for such a dreary night. The recipe came from - what I refer to as ‘The Bible’ – Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course. I was given that book as a gift a few years ago and it’s brilliant; I’ve a pretty serious collection of cookbooks but this one always gets referred back to for everything.

Anyway, I was on naan duty for the meal so called into Indira in Ballinacurra to pick them up (I’d say they’re sick of me buying nothing but naans & raita). The owner wasn’t there but the really nice guy that always answers the phone was and informed me they had two spaces left in their cookery class this coming Tuesday night so give them a call at 467888 if you’re interested. I won’t be going myself as I attended a few months ago and the dishes will be pretty much the same. They’re going to be changing after Christmas to vegetarian dishes so I’ll definitely be going back then. I can’t explain how great the class is and how valuable it is for anyone who likes Indian food but doesn’t know much about it. Eight people attend and it’s done in the kitchen of the Indira where everything is prepared in front of you. It costs €20 a head and wait for this, all the money goes to the new windows fund for Scoil Mhathair De (he even had the receipts to prove it). This guy runs a busy take away, teaches a cookery class once a week where all the fees go to the local school AND drives a taxi in his spare time.

So I’ll stop my rambling and get on to the recipe…. It’s essentially a noodle soup and is so easy and so delicious that you must try it out – it’s perfect for these cold & dreary evenings. Veggies can replace chicken stock with veg stock and use tofu (or extra veg) instead of meat. It also works very well with chicken.

Pork Chilli Ramen

Serves 2

What You Need

2 pork chops

1 courgette

1 pepper (any colour you like)

Noodles

1 pint chicken stock

1 clove of garlic

1 tsp chilli flakes

2 Tbsp soy sauce

2 tsp sesame oil

Sea salt & pepper

What You Do

• Grind the soy sauce, chilli flakes, garlic, oil & seasoning in a pestle & mortar and transfer to a bowl. Then add the pork and leave it sit for about 15 minutes if you have the time.
• Chop the vegetables into thin slices and coat with the left over marinade when you’ve taken the pork out.
• Cook the pork chops on a hot griddle pan until cooked through and add the veg when the pork is done. Don’t cook the veg for too long, you want it crunchy.
• Cook the noodles in the stock until done and transfer to a bowl. Then add the veg, followed by the sliced pork and finally pour the noodle liquor over to fill the bowl (if you do this at the start, the bowl might overflow).

Tip: I go to the oriental supermarket on Henry St.for my noodles, soy sauce, sweet chilli sauce and any other chinesey bits I need. It’s much better value than the supermarkets and they’ve a far better selection.

Comments

[Maeve]

Yes, I agree the Indian night is definitely worth a go! Sar - I'll definitely be up for the vegetarian night. Thanks again for bringing the nann bread. I had leftovers on Fri afternoon - tasted just as good!