cheesy kimchi noodles {october 15, 2022}

A little while ago the NYT published a recipe for Cheesy Kimchi Noodles. I like kimchi a lot. Many, many years ago when I was in junior high/high school a Korean foreign exchange student lived with my aunt, uncle, and cousins. He was in the States to study violin performance and he ended up living with my aunt and uncle's family for quite a few years. While he was with them, my aunt, who was a wonderful cook, studied Korean cooking to help him feel at home and to expand her cooking repertoire. One day after a long distance call to Korea (no Google back in that day), she had a recipe for kimchi. My first whiff of the stuff brought on a gag, gag, cough, cough reaction. My cousin chimed in and said she really liked kimchi and then Aunt Pat said, "You like pickles. This is kind of like spicy pickles." She gave me a taste and I liked it...sort of. By the end of my weeklong visit to Illinois, I liked kimchi.

After reading this recipe a couple times, I knew it would be something fun and different. It's comfort food. Ramen, melted cheddar cheese paired with the funky, fermented kimchi, a sauce with soy, sesame, and Sriracha, and then a fried egg with a runny yolk to mellow the spice and add a little richness. Lots of flavor with minimal effort. Yum.

Cheesy Kimchi Noodles

INGREDIENTS

Yield: 2 servings

For the Noodles:

6 ounces Ramen noodles
1½ T. canola oil
2 eggs
5 scallions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ packed cup kimchi
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 T. black or white sesame seeds
½ c. grated cheddar

For the Sauce:

2 T. Sriracha
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
1 T.Shaoxong wine (I used Aji Mirin Sweet Cooking Rice Seasoning)

PREPARATION

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions until tender but still springy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a colander and rinse in cold water until cool, then toss with a splash of canola oil to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Set cooked noodles aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the Sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine; set aside.

Set a medium nonstick skillet over high heat. Add ½ tablespoon canola oil and, once shimmering, crack in the eggs. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the whites are done and the edges are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil over medium-high. Add the scallions, kimchi, garlic and sesame seeds, and cook for 1 minute until just softened, stirring frequently. Add the noodles and sauce, and toss to combine for 1 minute. Stir in the grated cheese until it melts. Turn off the heat.

Transfer the noodles to serving plates, top with the fried eggs and garnish with extra sesame seeds and scallions. Serve immediately.