Chilled Crab And Shrimp Ramen Salad With Chukka Soba Dressing Recipes

HIYASHI CHūKA (COLD RAMEN SALAD)

Steps:

• Make the dressing by whisking together the water, soy sauce, tahini, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger, salt and white pepper until the dressing is emulsified.
• Prepare all the toppings.
• Boil the noodles according to the package directions.
• Drain the noodles and wash them with running cold water to remove any excess starch from the surface of the noodles.
• Put the noodles in a bowl of ice water to chill them, and then drain the noodles well, removing any excess ice.
• Split the noodles between two bowls, and then drizzle with some of the dressing.
• Arrange the cucumber, tomatoes, ham, and usuyaki tamago on top of the noodles and then garnish with sesame seeds. Serve the hiyashi chuka with extra dressing on the side.

HIYASHI CHUKA

Steps:

• For the sauce: Whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, ginger and 3 tablespoons water in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
• For the kinshi tamago (shredded egg crepes): Whisk together the eggs and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into another small bowl. (This isn't essential but yields a smoother crepe without any pockets of egg white.)
• Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly wipe the surface of the skillet with a folded-up paper towel dipped in some oil.
• Add about 3 tablespoons (see Cook's Note) of the beaten eggs and immediately and quickly tilt the skillet in all directions until the eggs evenly cover the bottom. Cook until the eggs are just set, about 20 seconds. Carefully flip the sheet of eggs with a spatula, using your fingers as needed, and smooth out any wrinkles. Cook until the bottom of the eggs are just set, about 5 seconds more.
• Transfer the sheet of eggs to a cutting board. Repeat the process 2 more times, re-oiling the skillet between batches and stacking the sheets on top of each other.
• Roll the sheets into a log and cut crosswise into 1/8-inch slices. Gently separate the strands with your hands.
• For the assembly: Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat.
• When the water comes to a boil, boil the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain the noodles, then rinse with cold running water, tossing them with your hands, until completely cool and all the excess starch is removed. Drain thoroughly. (Any excess water will dilute the sauce.)
• Divide the noodles among 4 shallow bowls. Arrange the ham, surimi, tomatoes, cucumbers and kinshi tamago over the noodles in sections. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and place a dollop of karashi, if using, on the side of each bowl. Serve with the chilled sauce to pour over the noodles as desired.

CHILLED CRAB AND SHRIMP RAMEN SALAD WITH CHUKKA-SOBA DRESSING

Steps:

• To make the dressing, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
• To make the omelet, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, sugar, soy sauce, and salt together in a bowl. Place a nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour 1/2 teaspoon of the vegetable oil into the pan and coat evenly using a paper towel; discard the excess oil. Once the oil is hot, pour half the egg mixture into the pan in a thin layer and cook until almost dry, about 2 minutes, then flip with a flat-bottomed spatula and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set on a plate to cool. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture and oil to make the second omelet. Once cool, thinly slice the omelets. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• To prepare the shrimp, butterfly the shrimp as follows: With a paring knife, make a cut along the underside of the shrimp, being careful not to cut through them entirely (the shrimp should lie flat but still remain in one piece). Press down lightly on the shrimp so they lie flat, then thread one shrimp onto each skewer.
• Add the salt to a large pot of water and bring to a simmer. While the water is simmering, prepare an ice bath. Add the shrimp to the simmering water and cook until they are cooked through, about 90 seconds (they turn pink and are no longer translucent). Transfer the shrimp to the ice bath. Once they're cool, drain, pat dry, and season with a pinch of salt.
• To assemble the dish, in a bowl, cover the wakame with the hot water and let sit for 10 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• Prepare an ice bath and place a large pot of water over high heat to bring to boil. Add the noodles and cook following the package instructions. Remove the noodles from the water and submerge in the ice bath. Drain well.
• Divide the noodles among 4 plates and top each with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Place one-fourth each of the crabmeat, lettuce, tomatoes, ham, cucumber, carrots, shrimp, omelet, and wakame in small piles on the noodles to form a circle. Sprinkle the pickled ginger over the salad, then drizzle another 2 tablespoons of dressing over the top. Garnish with the black sesame seeds and shredded nori.