Wild Alaska pollock chilli ramen recipe

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp white miso paste
• 1½ tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• A good dash of maple syrup
• 4 x Alaska pollock fillets, cut in half
• 750ml fish stock or vegetable stock
• 1 star anise
• 8 dried shitake mushrooms
• 2.5 cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, lightly bashed
• 4 spring onions, white and green parts separated, finely chopped
• 4 large eggs
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• Sea salt flakes
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 200g dried ramen noodles, cooked
• 100g baby spinach leaves
• 100g tinned sweetcorn
• 1 tbsp Japanese chilli sauce
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and cut into thin strips, to serve
• Black sesame seeds, to serve (optional)

Instructions

1. To marinade the pollock, place 1 tablespoon of white miso paste, ½ a tablespoon of mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil and maple syrup into a wide shallow bowl and stir to combine. Add the Alaska pollock fillets. Coat well, cover and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.
2. Pour the stock into a large saucepan and add the star anise, shitake mushrooms, ginger, garlic and the white parts of the spring onions. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Strain the liquid, return to the pan and place over a medium heat. When the broth comes to the boil, carefully add the eggs (in their shells) and cook for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, pan fry the Alaska pollock fillets in a little vegetable oil for 2-3 minutes and remove from the pan.
3. Using a slotted spoon, lift the eggs out of the broth and place in a bowl of iced water to cool. Shell the eggs and cut into halves.
4. Whisk the remaining miso paste into the broth, then stir in the remaining mirin. Season with a pinch of sea salt and a small pinch of white pepper.
5. Add the noodles to the broth and cook until the noodles are warmed through. Remove the noodles with a slotted spoon and divide between four warmed bowls. Top each bowl with some spinach and sweetcorn, place a couple of pieces of pollock on top and finish with the egg halves.
6. Bring the broth back to the boil then ladle it into the bowls. Garnish the ramen with the green parts of the spring onions and a dollop of chilli sauce. Sprinkle with red chilli and sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Recipe by

Rachel Green