Recipe: Knoopy’s Definitely Not Strange Noodles

December 13, 2020

 

I’ve submitted a wintertime-appropriate recipe already (the soup of rejuvenation if you don’t remember), and I came up with this while experimenting. It’s not the most traditional nor the most festive(at least to Christmas), but it’ll warm your hearts and stomachs like a campfire all the same. Noodles are a symbol of longevity and wish smooth sailing for the next year to whoever eats it, at least in Chinese New Year traditions. If you wanna get all fancy, find/make one really long strand of noodle for it; that’s the most authentic way to make such a dish. Don’t split it! It’ll break the good wishes too. I didn’t measure the ingredients since I’ve experimented to the point where I eyeball everything, so use some of your own intuition too.

—— Knoopy

Ingredients

Ginger

Scallions/green onions

Tofu (preferably soft)

Miso paste

Butter

Noodles (any kind is fine, one long strand if you want to),

Beef bones

Ham (I use ham but it could be any meat you want)

Seasoning:

Sesame oil

Powdered cayenne pepper

Soy sauce

Dark soy sauce

Salt

Chili oil (optional)

 

Directions

1. Slice ginger(7-10 pieces) and ham(4-6 pieces), mince scallions/green onions, and cut tofu into cubes appropriate to size of serving. Set aside.
2. In a big pot, add sliced ginger and beef bones and water just enough to cover bones. Boil until thoroughly grayish-brown. Lower the heat to medium, and scoop off impurities on the surface(if any).
3. Add in miso paste proportional to amount of stock. Cook for 30 minutes – 2 hours. During the halfway mark, drop in cubed tofu and generous pinch of salt.
4. As the timer ends, bring the broth to a boil again. Cook noodles in broth until chewy and/or springy. Sprinkle powdered cayenne pepper (this stuff is spicier than expected. Add with caution.) and stir.
5. While noodles are cooking, melt butter in a frying pan and sear sliced ham until it has a nice browning. Set aside.
6. Add soy sauce & dark soy sauce to the bottom of a bowl; ladle broth into the bowl, then add the cooked noodles; add sesame oil, chili oil(again, optional), lay sliced ham carefully into the bowl in any arrangement, then sprinkle scallions over, and you’re done!