Sesame Ramen with Caramelised Pork

Being half Thai I eat more than my fair share of rice and noodles – there’s nothing better than a bowl of warming ramen to lift the spirits and fly you off to a different continent. This recipe uses Thai red curry paste and tahini to create a spicy, rich, nutty broth. It sounds strange, but I promise it works! The addition of the sweet and savoury caramelised pork takes this dish to a whole other level. You can, of course, substitute the pork with prawns, leftover chicken or simply veg if you wish.

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Ingredients

ginger 15 g (grated)
garlic cloves 2 (crushed)
spring onions 6 (sliced)
mixed chillies 1 (sliced)
broccoli 200 g (chopped)
carrot 1 (shredded)
tahini 150 g
red Thai curry paste 2 tbsp
brown sugar 5 tbsp
soy sauce 4 tbsp
egg 4
ramen noodles 4
pork mince 400 g
honey 5 tbsp
fish sauce 3 tbsp
chicken stock cube 1
crispy chilli oil to serve

Method

Prepare the vegetables

Peel and grate the ginger, peel and crush the garlic. Finely slice the spring onions.
Slice the chilli, chop the broccoli into small pieces, peel and grate the carrot.

Prepare the ramen paste

Place the tahini, red curry paste, sugar, soy sauce, and 2/3 of the ginger in a bowl and whisk together to form a paste. This is your paste, you will use this to build your ramen bowls.

Cook the eggs

Fill a small saucepan with boiling water and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Add the eggs and cook for 6 minutes, then immediately remove and run under cold water for a minute or so to stop the cooking process. Peel once cool.

Cook the noodles

Cook the noodles according to instructions then rinse well under cold water. Set aside.

Make the caramelised pork

Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan on a medium heat. Add 2/3 of spring onions, the rest of the ginger, garlic and mixed chillies, and stir-fry for 1 minute.
Add the mince, turn up to medium-high and fry for 4–5 minutes, breaking up the mince with the back of your spoon. Mix in the honey and fish sauce and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Make the stock and cook the broccoli

Make up the chicken stock cube with 400ml boiling water per serving.
Bring the stock to the boil in a large pan. Add the broccoli and cook for 2–3 minutes, until just done. Remove and set aside. Add the cooked noodles and turn down the heat – you don’t want to cook them again, simply to warm them.

Build the ramen bowls

Divide the ramen paste between your bowls and add a ladle of stock to each. Whisk to combine, then divide the remaining stock between the bowls, stirring to ensure the paste is mixed through.
Add the noodles, top with the pork, eggs, broccoli and carrot. Garnish with the reserved spring onions and a drizzle of chilli oil. Enjoy!

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