Pumpkin, pioppini mushrooms and turnip greens: my vegetarian ramen is dedicated to autumn vegetables. All the flavor of this wonderful season in a comfort dish that hides a secret ingredient.
Not the traditional Japanese recipe therefore, because in these vegetarian ramen I wanted to replace the savory part of the soy sauce and the sour part of the rice vinegar with the unmistakable taste of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI. Perfect for sautéing autumn vegetables and for marinating egg, giving it a delicious shade of flavor and color.
WHY DID I CHOOSE THE BALSAMIC VINEGAR OF MODENA IGP?
L'Balsamic vinegar of Modena it is obtained from cooked and / or concentrated grape musts. According to the disciplinary, the grapes can only come from the vines of Lambrusco, Sangiovese, Trebbiano, Albana, Ancellotta, Fortana and Montuni. A minimum of 10% wine vinegar and a part of vinegar aged at least 10 years is added to the must thus obtained.
Although the ingredients of our ABM end there, the nuances of flavor are endless, because they depend on the percentage of these ingredients, their refinement and any aging (organoleptic characteristics here).
In the event that the component of cooked must prevails over wine vinegar, we will in fact have more sweetness and roundness, with a more consistent and aromatic result, to be combined with risotto, fatty fish and red meat (I used this nuance in the recipe for Chianina burger and in mine tuna tataki).
If wine vinegar prevails over grape must, we will have a fresher, more acidic and defined result, perfect in combination with vegetables and white meats and for grilling.
Another substantial difference is aging: we simply speak of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena when the aging period is less than three years, when instead it exceeds three years the name "Aged" is used.
For the recipe of my vegetarian ramen I wanted to use a refined, not aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, to recall the characteristics of 2 ingredients used in the original recipe: soy sauce and rice vinegar. Savory note and acid component blend perfectly in this single product, allowing me to create an unusual but equally effective version of this oriental recipe.
But let's get to the recipe for my vegetarian pumpkin and mushroom ramen.
post made in collaboration with Consortium for the Protection of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
ingredients for 2 people
THING
- 500 ml of vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon of miso (rice or soy)
- 150 g of wheat udon
for the eggs
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI
- 1 cm of fresh ginger
for the vegetables
- 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- ½ spring onion
- 1 cm of fresh ginger
- 1 clove of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of seed oil
- 150 g of pioppini mushrooms
- 150 g of turnip greens
HOW TO PREPARE THE RAMEN VEG
The day before I took care of the eggs: in a saucepan I brought 150 ml of water to the boil with the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI and peeled ginger, cooked for 5 minutes and let it cool. Separately, I boiled the eggs in boiling water for 7/8 minutes, I passed them under running water to cool them, then I peeled them and put them to marinate in the mixture for at least 12 hours, in the refrigerator.
At the time of preparation, I cut the pumpkin slices into smaller wedges and cooked them for 30 minutes in a hot oven, 200 °, on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, only with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper.
In the meantime, I cleaned and peeled the pioppini mushrooms, cutting the larger ones along the long side and I also washed and cut the turnip tops, leaving the tops intact and cutting the larger leaves into strips.
I chopped the garlic, spring onion and ginger very finely, I heated a wok with oil, and I sautéed them for a few minutes until golden. I combined the sugar, the oyster sauce and the Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, seasoned with salt and also added the mushrooms and turnip greens, tossing them in a pan for 5/7 minutes. Once the pumpkin was ready, I added it to the vegetables in a pan and let it flavor for another couple of minutes.
At the same time I boiled the udon in the vegetable broth, where I diluted the miso and kept it warm. Then I assembled my vegetarian ramen, dividing the bowl into quadrants: turnip greens, pumpkin, soba, pioppini mushrooms and the egg cut in half.
I sprinkled the green onions cut into rings or chives with the green part.
Click.
WHAT WINE PAIRING WITH VEGETARIAN RAMEN?
Among the more or less aromatic vines that best match oriental cuisine of this type I often mention Sauvignon, Riesling * and Chardonnay. These are structured wines, with the right minerality but without that excessive freshness that could become an antagonist of the dish's natural acidity.
Inspired by the grapes used in the production of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena PGI, the protagonist of the recipe together with the autumn vegetables, I would also recommend a Sangiovese vinified in rosé *. It will be able to enhance the contrasts of taste and texture with its balance and the right flavor.
