Kewpie Mayo Ramen
Units
Temperature
Servings
Ingredients
Broth base, built in the serving bowl
- 1 egg, whole for a lighter broth, yolk only for a richer one rounded
- 15 g Kewpie mayonnaise, or another thick, creamy mayonnaise rounded
- 1 garlic clove, finely grated rounded
- 1 seasoning packet from the ramen rounded
Noodles
- 1 instant ramen block with soup base, spicy ones like Shin Ramyun or Jin Ramen work especially well rounded
- 500 ml water rounded
Toppings
- 15 g scallion, thinly sliced rounded
- 5 ml chili oil (optional) rounded
Method
Method
- Build the base in the serving bowl. Whisk the egg, Kewpie mayonnaise, grated garlic and the seasoning packet together in a large, deep serving bowl until smooth.
- Cook the noodles. Bring the water to a boil in a small pot. Add the noodle block and cook for about 2 minutes, roughly 1 minute less than the packet says, until just al dente. They finish softening in the hot broth.
- Temper slowly. This is the whole recipe. Ladle about half of the piping hot noodle water into the bowl a little at a time, whisking constantly. Poured in gradually, the hot water warms the egg gently and the mayo emulsifies into a creamy broth. Poured in all at once, it scrambles the egg.
- Finish. Add the remaining noodle water and the noodles and toss so the broth coats every strand. Top with scallion and chili oil if using, and eat immediately.
Notes
- Kewpie is worth seeking out but not worth a special trip. Japanese mayo is made with egg yolks only, so it is richer and slightly sweeter than Western mayo. Any thick, creamy mayonnaise such as Thomy or Hellmann’s makes a very good bowl; the broth just tastes a little less of egg.
- The heat should come from the noodle packet, not from added chili. A spicy Korean ramyeon like Shin Ramyun or Jin Ramen gives the creamy broth something to push against. With a mild packet, the chili oil topping does the same job.
- Grate the garlic, do not chop it. The clove essentially cooks out in the hot broth when grated to a paste; chopped, it stays raw and harsh.
- This is the soup-style member of a small family. Creamy buldak cheese ramen is the saucy Korean sibling, and cheesy kimchi ramen is the Korean home-style pot version.
- Best eaten the moment it is mixed. The emulsion does not hold or reheat well.