Make some instant ramen. Slide an egg into the hot broth, then some butter. Crown the steaming noodles with slices of American cheese. Scatter a bunch of toasted sesame seeds and chopped scallions across the top, if you want to. Hardly a recipe! But for the chef Roy Choi, who gave it to The Times in 2014, doctored instant ramen is a taste of Korean-American straight-from-the-bag soul food. The butter, egg and cheese help coat the ramen noodles and deepen their flavor. “It’s our snack, it’s our peanut butter and jelly sandwich, it’s our bowl of cereal,” Mr. Choi said. “It’s something that has been a part of my life forever.”
Ingredients
- 1 pack ramen noodles with flavor packet
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon butter
- 2 slices American cheese
- ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
- ½ scallion, green part only, thinly sliced on the bias, optional
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (1 serving)
608 calories; 32 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 55 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 23 grams protein; 218 milligrams cholesterol; 2055 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
1 serving
Preparation
- Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flavor packet, stir, and continue to cook for another 30 seconds.
- Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the egg. Do not stir; pull the noodles over the egg and let sit for one minute to poach.
- Carefully transfer everything to a serving bowl, add the butter, cheese and sesame seeds and mix. Garnish with the scallions if desired.
10 minutes
Dining and Cooking