It's looks like Ramen but it's different. Saimin is like the Hawaiian cousin Ramen never knew it had. Saimin dates back to plantation days when var...
It's looks like Ramen but it's different. Saimin is like the Hawaiian cousin Ramen never knew it had. Saimin dates back to plantation days when various immigrants worked and cooked together and saimin reflects all those influences. It has a broth reminiscent of Japanese dashi, uses egg and wheat noodles reminiscent of Chinese chow mein noodles, and is garnished with an assortment of toppings hailing from Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Filipino cuisines.
I first had saimin at the Hawaiian fast food chain,Zippys, and it was forgettable, to say the least. Fortunately, I’ve had better tasting saimin since, but my friends in Hawaii asked me to craft them modern, homemade, healthier version. So, I poked through some cookbooks, talked to locals, asked my chef friends in the area, and experimented. Here it is: a from-scratch Saimin that uses ingredients you can find in most grocery store’s ethnic aisles and requires just a bit of your time. The result is a healthy recipe for shrimp saimin that has no MSG, a ton less sodium than the original, and is all around much better for you.
thinly sliced
plus more for serving
(or Chinese broccoli, or broccoli rabe), ends trimmed
or Napa cabbage or bok choy, thinly sliced
stems trimmed and caps thinly sliced
thinly sliced
ends trimmed and rest thinly sliced
for garnish (optional)
thinly sliced for garnish (optional)
For The Saimin Broth: Bring water to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel the shrimp reserving the shrimp meat and shells separately. Add salt and shrimp meat to simmering water and cook until shrimp are just pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove shrimp, spread out on a plate and refrigerate until ready to use.
Return liquid to stove over low heat, and add shrimp peelings (shells and tails), konbu, shitake, bonito, and ginger. Cover and gently simmer until shrimp shells are pink, konbu has expanded in size, shitake are rehydrated, and bonito are darker in color, about for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, add soy, and let the broth steep.
Start tasting the broth after it has been steeping for 15 minutes — it should be salty enough that all the flavors are apparent but not so much that you taste the salt. The broth is done when it has a smoky note from the bonito, a slight ginger tone, and a good sea flavor but is not fishy. (I have let this mixture steep as little as 30 minutes and up to 2 1/2 hours.) Strain broth, discard solids, and store until ready to use. (Broth can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.)
The konbu, dried shitake, and bonito flakes give the broth a distinct dashi taste, the classic Japanese broth used for making miso soup and ramen. So, once you seek out the ingredients, keep them on hand for dashi; Rachael at La Fuji Mama haseasy instructions for homemade dashi. If you can’t find those ingredients or are looking to save time, use the storebought concentrate known as dashi no-moto but be sure to scan the label because some versions contain MSG. The saimin noodles are labeled as such in Hawaii but can be hard to find elsewhere; check your local Asian market or use fresh chow mein noodles, ramen, or, as a last resort, udon instead.
For The Shrimp: When ready to cook the noodles, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a bowl halfway with ice water and set aside. Add broccolini and cook until bright green and knife tender, about 2 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove to the ice water bath and set aside. Add noodles and cook according to package instructions until tender. Drain and set aside. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.)
To Serve The Saimin: Heat the broth to a simmer over medium heat then divide noodles among four bowls. Top each bowl with top with a quarter each broccolini, spinach, egg, mushroom, Maui onion, green onion, and shrimp. Divide broth evenly among bowls and serve with soy sauce and hot mustard passed on the side.
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