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Saimin
Hawaiian noodle soup with dashi, char siu pork, fish cake and egg
Saimin was born in the sugar plantation camps of Hawaii, where Chinese, Japanese and Filipino workers shared pots and combined their noodle soups into one, and it is still sold everywhere from old Kauaʻi diners to the snack bars at Little League games. Springy wheat noodles sit in a clear dashi and shrimp broth, topped with sliced char siu (roast pork), pink fish cake, egg and spring onion. Chef's tip: cook the noodles separately and rinse them, so their starch doesn't cloud the clear broth.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 6 ¼ cups water
- 10 cm piece dried kombu
- 2 tbsp dried shrimp
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 7 oz cooked char siu (Chinese roast pork)thinly sliced
- 3 ½ oz kamaboko fish cakesliced
- 2 eggs
- 3 spring onionssliced
- 2 pak choi (optional)halved
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Soak the 10 cm piece dried kombu in the 6 ¼ cups water in a pan for 20 minutes, then bring slowly to a simmer and lift out the kombu just before it boils.
30 minStep 2: Add the 2 tbsp dried shrimp and simmer 10 minutes, then add the ½ oz bonito flakes (dashi powder can be used), turn off the heat and steep 5 minutes. Strain and season with the 2 tbsp soy sauce, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar. Keep hot.
16 minStep 3: Beat the 2 eggs and cook as a thin omelette in a non-stick pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes until set with no runny egg. Roll up and slice into ribbons.
4 minStep 4: Cook the 14 oz fresh saimin or ramen wheat noodles in a separate pan of boiling water for 2–3 minutes until just tender, drain and rinse under hot water. Blanch the 2 pak choi in the same water for 1 minute. A common mistake is cooking the noodles in the broth, which makes it starchy and cloudy.
5 minStep 5: Divide the noodles between bowls, ladle over the hot broth and top with the 7 oz cooked char siu (Chinese roast pork), 3 ½ oz kamaboko fish cake, egg ribbons, pak choi and 3 spring onions. Make sure the pork is piping hot by warming it in the broth for a minute first.
3 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 24 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does saimin take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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