“The more ramen I eat, the more I’m drawn to miso ramen,” says chef Tim Anderson. “Thanks to its complex tare and the many textures found in its stir-fried veg topping, it’s just so damn interesting. Cooking and plating are a little different for this one, so make sure you read the method below.” Miso ramen Ingredients: For the broth (makes around 2.4L)): 2 tbsp vegetable oil or animal fat 50g fresh ginger root, thinly sliced 1 onion, quartered 1 garlic bulb, halved 250g chicken skin 250g chicken feet 800g chicken wings 1.5kg chicken frames, roughly chopped ≈3.5L water 4 bay leaves (optional) ½ tsp white pepper For the miso tar (makes 400g): 150g red miso 100g white miso 50g brown rice miso 2 tbsp vegetable oil or animal fat 1 onion, finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 20g fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped 6 tbsp sake 1 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp sesame seeds, crushed 4 tbsp single cream 4 tbsp Ovaltine or malt powder 30g parmesan or mature cheddar, finely grated 1 tbsp shoyu For the garlic sesame oil (makes 80ml): 45ml vegetable oil or lard 60ml sesame oil 30g garlic (about 8 cloves), very thinly sliced For the toppings (makes enough for 4 bowls): 1 tbsp lard or vegetable oil ½ an onion, thinly sliced 100g minced meat (pork is typical but chicken, turkey or vegan mince work, too) ¼ of an hispi or flat cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped ½ a small carrot, cut into planks about 3mm thick A big handful of bean sprouts A few mangetout ¼ of a red pepper, thinly sliced A small pinch of salt and/or MSG (optional) 1 tsp sesame oil, or aroma oil of your choice Menma (tinned bamboo shoots) Shredded spring onions (scallions) or leeks Shop-bought noodles Optional toppings: Corn Butter Chilli oil Spinach or wakame Parmesan Beni shōga (red pickled ginger, sharp, sweet and artificially coloured. Good with tonkotsu) Sesame seeds Ajitama (ramen egg) Method: 1. Make the broth: Heat the oil or fat in a roasting tray in a fan oven set to 200C (425F), then add all of the vegetables and chicken parts and roast for 40 minutes, turning everything once halfway through cooking. Remove the vegetables with tongs and set aside. Tip the chicken parts and any drippings from the tray into a stock pot and add the water (enough to cover) and bay leaves, and set over a high heat. Boil hard for four hours, topping up the water as needed to maintain the water level. After four hours, add the veg and the white pepper, and continue to boil for another two hours. In the final hour, stop topping up the water and allow it to reduce slightly. Remove from the heat, then bring back to a high simmer if using immediately. Remember to re-emulsify the broth with an immersion blender before serving. 2. Make the miso tare: Stir together the three types of miso until well mixed. Heat the oil or fat in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until everything softens and begins to colour, then add roughly half of the miso mixture and continue to cook for another seven to eight minutes, until the miso darkens as well. Whisk in the sake and boil for three to four minutes to cook off the alcohol, then add the sesame oil, sesame seeds and the cream. Bring to the boil and cook for another three to four minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat, leave to cool for a few minutes, then whisk in the Ovaltine, cheese, shōyu and remaining miso mixture. Transfer everything to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. 3. Make the garlic sesame oil: Pour the vegetable oil and one tablespoon of the sesame oil into a small saucepan and stir in the garlic, ensuring that none of the slices are stuck to each other. Set over a low heat and cook gently for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the garlic is evenly golden brown (the reason for keeping the heat low is to cook off all of the garlic’s moisture before it begins to colour). Once the garlic is lightly browned (we’re looking for gold, not bronze), remove it with a slotted spoon, fork or similar, drain on paper towels and leave to cool. Leave the oil to cool for about 10 minutes, then tip into a jar and add the remaining sesame oil. Once the garlic chips have cooled, crush them into small pieces and keep in an airtight container lined with paper towels. 4. Make the toppings: Have all of your veg prepped and ready to go, because the cooking here should be very quick. In a wok or frying pan, heat the lard or oil over a high heat and add the onion and mince and stir-fry for a couple minutes, then add the cabbage and carrot and continue to stir-fry for two to three minutes until everything is wilted but still crunchy. Add the bean sprouts and mangetout and continue to stir-fry for another two to three minutes, then add the pepper and salt and/or MSG (use this sparingly, or not at all, if you’re going to boil the mixture in seasoned soup). Stir-fry for a further two minutes or so, then remove from the heat and stir in the sesame or aroma oil. 5. Build the ramen: You can build this bowl as you would any other ramen, but I think it’s tastier the way many shops in Sapporo do it, which is to combine everything in a wok and then transfer it to the bowl. Start with the stir-fry and when it’s done, stir in the tare, then the broth. Whisk to combine and bring to the boil. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a separate pot of boiling water, and when they’re done, drain well and tip them into bowls. Pour the broth from the wok over the noodles along with the stir-fried and boiled veg, keeping the veg on top of the noodles as you portion them out. The fat can either be added to the bowl or to the wok; if you add it to the wok it will become emulsified with the broth upon boiling, but it will taste the same. If topping with butter and corn, add cold butter at the last minute, just before serving. ‘Nothing special’ ramen “Sometimes the ramen craving strikes and there’s no ramen to be found – what do you do? Instant ramen does the job, of course, and some of it is excellent, especially if you’re able to add good toppings,” says Anderson. “But even that is sometimes unavailable. This recipe is designed to tick the proper ramen box from common refrigerator and store cupboard ingredients – when you don’t have any good broth, nor tare, nor oils, nor nothing!” Serves: 1 Ingredients: 20g lard 80g minced pork 2 anchovies ½ an onion, thinly sliced A big handful of bean sprouts 2 garlic cloves, grated 1 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp red miso 1 tbsp sugar 1 tbsp white wine 1 tbsp tomato purée 2 tbsp shōyu 1 tbsp peanut butter or tahini A pinch each of white pepper and smoked paprika 500ml water 1 tbsp grated parmesan or cheddar 1 portion shop-bought noodles A big pinch of sesame seeds 1 spring onion, thinly sliced Chilli oil, to taste (optional) Salt, to taste Method: 1. In a wok or medium saucepan, melt the lard over a high heat and add the pork mince, anchovies and onion. Stir-fry for a few minutes, breaking up the anchovies as you go, until the pork is cooked through and the onion has begun to soften. Toss in the bean sprouts and garlic and stir-fry for another one to two minutes, then tip everything out into a bowl. 2. Add the sesame oil to the pan and set over a medium heat, then add the miso and sugar and fry it for a few minutes until the aroma becomes rich and caramel-like. Stir in the white wine, tomato purée, shōyu and peanut butter or tahini and cook for another few minutes, then add the pepper, paprika, water and cheese. 3. Bring to the boil, add the noodles and cook them to your liking. Once they’re done, taste the broth and add salt or more water as needed – different noodles will absorb different amounts of liquid, so you’ll have to adjust for this accordingly. 4. Transfer the broth and noodles to a bowl and top with the stir-fried mince and veg and garnish with the sesame seeds and spring onion. Add as much chilli oil as you like. Yu Xiang aubergine mixed noodles This recipe is inspired by aburasoba – a soupless ramen dish where the noodles are served in a bowl with tare (dipping sauce) and oil at the bottom and toppings on top, which is then mixed together at the table. “I’m tempted to call it an aburasoba… but it would not resemble any aburasoba I’ve seen in Japan,” says Anderson. “Aw heck, let’s just say it’s mixed noodles and call it a day!” Serves: 2 Ingredients: 1 large or 2 small dried shiitake mushrooms 150ml just-boiled water 1 large aubergine Oil, as needed for shallow-frying 1 tsp cornflour 2 tbsp shōyu 1 tbsp dark red miso (such as Hatchō miso) 1 tbsp oyster sauce 2 tbsp Chinkiang vinegar, Japanese black vinegar or similar, plus extra to taste 1 red pepper or a handful of small, sweet peppers, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 15g fresh ginger root, peeled and finely chopped 1-2 dried red chillies, or a few pinches of chilli flakes (to taste) 3 tbsp light brown sugar 1 tbsp sesame oil 2 portions noodles 2 spring onions, thinly sliced at an angle 2 egg yolks 50-60g Menma or tinned bamboo shoots Chilli oil, to taste Method: 1. Place the shiitake mushrooms in a small dish and cover them with the boiled water, then leave to rehydrate for about an hour. Meanwhile, cut the aubergine into batons or prisms about 2cm thick, and pour the oil into a large frying pan or wok to a depth of about 1cm. 2. Heat over a medium-high heat for a few minutes, then test the temperature by placing a piece of aubergine into the oil. If it sizzles vigorously immediately, the oil is ready. Add all of the aubergine to the oil and fry for about five to six minutes, turning often, until richly browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon or spider and drain well on paper towels. Tip the oil out into a heatproof container, but leave about one tablespoon oil or so in the pan. 3. Once the mushrooms have rehydrated, remove their stems and cut them into thin slices. Stir the cornflour into the resulting mushroom dashi and stir together the shōyu, miso, oyster sauce and vinegar in a separate bowl until no lumps of miso remain. 4. Ensure you have all of your prep ready to go before cooking, because the pace needs to be fairly quick once you begin. Place the pan with the reserved one tablespoon oil back over a high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the peppers and stir-fry for two to three minutes until browned. 5. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies, and stir-fry for another one to two minutes, then add the sliced shiitake mushrooms and sugar and stir-fry briefly so the sugar melts and bubbles. 6. Add the liquid seasoning mixture and stir well, then add the cornflour and mushroom dashi mixture and bring to the boil so it thickens. Finally, tip in the fried aubergine and stir well to coat. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm while you cook the noodles. 7. Divide the sesame oil between the two bowls and add a few spoonfuls of the aubergine sauce to each one. 8. Boil the noodles until tender, then drain well and tip into the sauce. Stir the noodles through the sauce, then top with the aubergine and its sauce, and garnish with the spring onions, eggs and menma. Serve with chilli oil and extra vinegar – add as much as you like. ‘Ramen Forever: Recipes For Ramen Success’ by Tim Anderson (Hardie Grant, £26). Read More World Pasta Day: Nigella Lawson’s spaghetti with Marmite This speedy king prawn pasta has a supermarket secret weapon Midweek meals: Baked pasta Siciliana with meatballs How to make a classic lasagne Dear Pret, this is what a £7 sandwich should look like Jack Stein’s Cornish mussels with spinach and cider

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A new report has found that the price of childcare is still rising in the United States and has gone up by 220 per cent since 1990. In the annual report from Annie E. Casey Foundation, the charitable organisation examined the importance of childcare across the country, with data from each state about the overall well-being of children. With an analysis from Child Care Aware, an advocacy organisation, the report found that “child care costs have risen 220 per cent since” 1990, “significantly outpacing inflation”. As noted by the US Inflation Calculator, the cumulative rate of inflation, from January 1990 to May 2023, is approximately 138 per cent . The Annie E. Casey Foundation also looked at the annual cost of childcare and how it can impact parents’ income. More specifically, the average yearly cost for care for one child in America was $10,600 in 2021, which is “more than a third of a single parent’s income”. The report looked at the annual cost for a centre-based childcare for a toddler, based on each state. Results showed that prices are the highest in Washington DC, with a cost of $24,396 per year. Centre-based childcare in Connecticut is also expensive, with an annual price of $18,156 per year. The report said over 2 million children in the US had family members who experienced job changes due to childcare prices from 2020 to 2021. The organisation examined the ethnicity of these 2 million children: 17 per cent of them were Black, 16 per cent Latino, and 14 per cent Asian and Pacific Islanders. The organisation also looked at the analysis of 2017 data, which showed how the childcare system disproportionately impacted families of colour. For example, centre-based childcare for two children absorbed 26 per cent of a working mother’s median household income. Meanwhile, 42 per cent of a Latino working mother’s median household income paid for two children’s childcare, while 56 per cent of a Black working mother’s income covered this childcare cost. On the economic well-being of children around the country, findings showed that over 12 million were in poverty in 2021. That same year, there were over 21 million children whose parents lacked secure employment, and nearly 22 million children living in a household with high housing cost burden. Earlier this year, a report by the US Department of Labor also found that families with younger children in the country pay a significant amount on childcare. After looking at data from 2018, which was adjusted based on the inflation rate in 2022, the report noted that “childcare prices range from $4,810 for school-age home-based care in small counties to $15,417 for infant centre-based care in very large counties”. Read More Thirty, flirty and declining: How 30 became a terrifying milestone for an anxious generation More help with childcare costs for families on Universal Credit from end of June Government’s childcare reforms ‘risk worsening outcomes’ for poorer children

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