Ramen is really just a hearty broth pimped up with noodles, toppings and garnishes, all served in a deep comforting bowl. Kai cooks the pork chops on the bone for flavour and to keep the meat from drying out. You will find kecap manis in any Asian supermarket — it is an Indonesian soy sauce, slightly thicker and sweeter than regular soy. If not a few spoons of soy mixed with a spoon of treacle will do in its place.
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the broth:
1200ml chicken stock
3 garlic cloves, halved
A stick of lemongrass, crushed
4 ‘rounds’ of ginger, about the size of a chocolate coin, no need to peel.
4 tbsp tamari
4 tbsp white miso paste
2 tsp dashi vinegar
1 red chilli, finely sliced
2 tsp coconut sugar or regular brown sugar
For the ramen:
A couple of big pork chops (about 300g of meat when taken off the bone )
4 tbsp kecap manis
4 tbsp oyster sauce
4 Bord Bia Quality Assured hard-boiled eggs, peeled and halved
300g dried ramen noodles or four servings according to packet recommendation
2 tsp sesame oil
To garnish:
Sliced green spring onions and whatever is fresh, seasonal, and funky. Try a few radishes, some pak choi, a grated carrot, or a sprinkle of sesame seeds
Start with the pork chops. Put the kecap manis and oyster sauce in a zip lock plastic freezer bag with the chops, making sure the meat is well coated. Seal it up and pop it into the fridge, leaving it to marinate for at least a few hours and up to three days.
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F ).
On a lightly oiled, hot ovenproof griddle pan, fry the pork chop for a few minutes over a high heat on each side until browned. Transfer to the oven to finish cooking through for 10 to 15 minutes — this will depend on the thickness of the chops. When cooked to your liking remove and allow to rest for five minutes. Take the meat off the bone, slice on the diagonal, and set aside.
In a stockpot or large saucepan, place the chicken stock, garlic, lemongrass, slices of ginger, tamari, miso paste, vinegar, chilli, and sugar together and bring to boil. Reduce to simmer for five minutes. Taste the stock and adjust to your liking. If it is too salty add a little more sugar, add more tamari if you prefer it saltier.
Cook the noodles in a large pan of boiling water for two to three minutes until just tender or according to the packet instructions. Drain and toss in the sesame oil to prevent them sticking together and divide among four bowls. You can fish out any large pieces of ginger, lemongrass, or garlic if you prefer at this stage, then ladle the hot stock over the noodles. Top each bowl with some of the sliced pork, spring onions and seasonal veggies if using, crown it all off with the egg halves. Allow the veg to slightly wilt before serving.
Note: This restaurant recipe has been slightly amended by Bord Bia to make it easier to re-create at home.
Connacht winner: Café Rua, Castlebar
Kelly’s Scotch egg
Makes 4
Ingredients
6 Bord Bia Quality Assured eggs
400g sausage meat – Kelly’s breakfast sausages
130g Kelly’s black pudding, crumbled
2 tbsp chopped mixed herbs (chives, sage, parsley and thyme, rosemary are all good )
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp milk
100g flour
100g breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, to cook
4 slices brown bread
50g mixed leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Put four of the eggs into a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for five minutes, then put straight into a large bowl of iced water for at least 10 minutes.
Put the meat, pudding, herbs, and mustard into a bowl — you will need to add very little seasoning, as sausage meat will already contain salt. Mix well with your hands. Divide into four.
Carefully peel the eggs. Beat the two raw eggs together in a bowl with a splash of milk. Put the flour in a second bowl and season, then tip the breadcrumbs into a third bowl. Arrange in an assembly line.
Lightly flour an egg, pat out some meat mix on a lightly floured board and carefully encase the egg. Repeat the process for all the eggs. Dip each meat-covered egg in flour, then egg wash, then breadcrumbs.
Fill a deep saucepan pan a third full of vegetable oil, and heat to 170°C (or when a crumb of bread sizzles and turns golden, but does not burn, when dropped in it ). Keep the heat under the oil moderate throughout cooking, so crumbs achieve nice dark golden colour, yet meat is cooked thoroughly. Cook the eggs a couple at a time, for eight minutes, until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper before serving.
Serve with brown bread and mixed leaves.
Note: This restaurant recipe has been slightly amended by Bord Bia to make it easier to re-create at home.
Munster winner: Blue Haven Hotel, Kinsale
Shakshuka
Serves 2
Ingredients
4 Bord Bia Quality Assured eggs
6 tomatoes
3 tbsp of olive oil
1 red onion, finely diced
25ml red wine vinegar
25ml water
25g Demerara sugar
1 garlic clove, peeled and sliced
Pinch of Chinese five spice powder
1 bay leaf
1 small crusty baguette, sliced
50g spinach, wilted
50g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F ).
Take tomatoes. Cut into quarters and cut out the core piece. Place the tomatoes on a roasting tray, drizzle with two tablespoons of the oil, and season with cracked black pepper and a little salt. Place in the oven and roast for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and slightly roasted.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and sauté for six to eight minutes until softened.
In a small separate saucepan mix the red wine vinegar with the water and sugar. Add the garlic, a little pinch of Chinese five spice, and the bay leaf. Bring this to the boil to dissolve the sugar then set aside to infuse. When the tomatoes are cooked throw them into the pan with the onions on a low heat. Stir them in and start to break them up. Remove the bay leaf from the spice liquid and add to the tomatoes mix and allow to cook, stirring now and again.
To serve: Line three bowls (must be heatproof ) with the tomato chutney mix. Throw in a little bit of wilted spinach and sprinkle over a few chickpeas. Making two pockets for the eggs into the chutney/spinach crack two eggs into each dish.
Place in the oven for seven to eight minutes or until the egg is starting to bubble. While they are cooking, heat a griddle pan over a high heat, brush the slices on each side with the olive oil, and toast on the heated griddle pan for one to two minutes on each side or until charred, and serve alongside the shakshuka.
Note: This restaurant recipe has been slightly amended by Bord Bia to make it easier to re-create at home.
Ulster Winner: Lemon Tree, Letterkenny, Co Donegal
Confit Irish duck leg with fried egg and crispy onions
Serves 2
Ingredients
2 Irish confit duck legs 300g mashed potato 150ml cream 50g butter
1 onion, thinly sliced
25g plain flour
3 tbsp olive oil
2 Bord Bia Quality Assured eggs
Sunflower oil, for frying
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F ).
Place the duck legs onto a baking tray and into the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes
To make the potato mousse, whisk together the mashed potato, cream and butter until soft and smooth.
Heat two inches of oil to 180°C in the base of a medium saucepan. Toss the onion in the flour and season ensuring to separate the onion pieces and that they are evenly coated. Once the oil has come up to temperature gently fry the onion in batches taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for two to three minutes until golden and then remove with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low to medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan, one at a time and fry for three to four minutes on a gentle heat until the whites are cooked through but the yolk is still runny.
To serve, on each plate, place the potato mousse in the centre, top with a fried egg followed by a duck leg and the crispy onions.
Note: This restaurant recipe has been slightly amended by Bord Bia to make it easier to re-create at home.
Leinster winner: Viewmount House, Longford
Six-minute egg and Jerusalem artichoke
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 Jerusalem artichokes, peeled 1 table spoon of dashi vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
1 tsp coriander seeds
4 Bord Bia Quality Assured eggs
4 slices whole meal sourdough
1 tbsp olive oil
50g mixed leaves
2 tbsp basil pesto
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Bring a small saucepan of salted water to the boil over a high heat, reduce the heat slightly and place the artichokes into the water and gently simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the water and dice into ½cm pieces.
Place in a small bowl along with the vinegar, sugar, one teaspoon sea salt, and coriander seeds and leave to pickle for at least two hours or overnight.
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the eggs for six minutes, cool them down in ice water to prevent further cooking, carefully peel off the shell.
Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, brush the sourdough on each side with the olive oil and toast on the heated griddle pan for one to two minutes on each side or until charred.
Place a slice of sourdough onto each plate. Top with some mixed leaves, an egg, the pickled Jerusalem artichokes and a drizzle of pesto.
Note: This restaurant recipe has been slightly amended by Bord Bia to make it easier to re-create at home.
