Life

Food writer Pippa Middlehurst only wants to eat things from a warming, comforting bowl

Prudence Wade makes tantanmen and homemade ramen noodles with the broth-obsessed cook...

Pippa Middlehurst, author of Bowls & Broths
Pippa Middlehurst, author of Bowls & Broths Pippa Middlehurst, author of Bowls & Broths

AS FAR as working lunches go, homemade noodles swimming in a hot, spicy broth and topped off with pak choi, spring onions, flavoursome mince and chilli oil is certainly a step up from a bland sandwich or sad salad.

Food writer and cookbook author Pippa Middlehurst is teaching me how to make tantanmen with fresh ramen noodles over Zoom – essentially the Japanese version of Sichuan dan dan noodles. The dish is from the Best Home Cook winner’s second book, Bowls & Broths, which tells you exactly what’s inside: warming, comforting recipes full of flavour and spice.

The topic of bowls makes Pippa’s eyes light up. “I just like everything being together and being able to sit with it,” she says matter-of-factly. “One of my pet peeves in life is if you go to an event and there’s a buffet, and you have to sit and eat with the plate off your knee. I hate that so much.

“I like to be settled – it’s ritualistic. I like to be comfy, no restrictive clothing, pyjamas on. This is the ideal, with a bowl of something delicious. I think having variety within the bowl is great ”

We start by measuring flour, salt and water for the noodles, and this is where Pippa’s background in molecular biology comes into play. She’s meticulous with her measurements – and you really need to be, to get the perfect noodles – weighing her water in grams on electronic scales, rather than in a measuring jug, trusting her eye.

Once the extremely dry dough is together (at this moment, I’m glad Pippa is there to guide me – if I had been making this solo I definitely would’ve been suspicious and added a whole lot more water to bring it together), it’s time to start passing it through the pasta machine. This helps distribute the water throughout the flour, making for bouncier noodles that will fare better swimming in broth.

We spend 10 minutes in near silence rolling out the dough, a strangely meditative process. Later, Pippa admits when we came back to compare our finished noodles she “didn’t really know how long I’d been away” – that’s how zen she felt. “It’s the transformation that’s quite satisfying,” she says, referring to the moment your dry dough becomes perfect noodles.

Pippa can’t recall the first time she ate noodles, but she can remember the feeling. “My granddad used to take us for dim sum when we were children,” she reminisces. “So my love for Chinese food began with Chinese restaurant food.” Her first dish “would have been [something] like a chow mein – a classic like that, or Singapore vermicelli noodles”, she says.

But back to the task at hand. Once the noodles are dusted with corn starch and set to one side, it’s time to start on the tantanmen itself. We cook up some mince (beef for her, soy for me) in sweet bean sauce and five spice and get our stock on the go, at which point Pippa reveals the biggest secret of her recipes.

Instead of making a complicated new broth for every dish, Pippa’s hack is to have a freezer full of master stocks. “I’m not going to make the stock into a specific broth,” she explains. “Instead, what I do is I season my bowl”. The stock then goes on top.

This means that, depending on what she ‘seasons’ her bowl with – for us it’s ground Sichuan peppercorns, light brown sugar, Chinkiang black rice vinegar, soy sauce and Chinese sesame paste – you can have a completely different dish each time.

It’s genius, because I ended up with a deep, flavoursome broth – all from a shop-bought vegetable stock cube and some extra flourishes. We then cook the noodles for just 45 seconds to a minute, then top it all with the mince, pak choi, spring onions and chilli oil.

In under an hour, I’ve come out with a bowl full of flavour – my partner described it as “fancy Pot Noodle”, which I thought somewhat undersold it.

Pippa is a great teacher – helpful, kind and eager to share her knowledge and love of food. She brings this mentality to everything she does, saying: “Since my business has been growing it’s been really important for me to support the Southeast Asian community and women. In my marketplace online (pippyeats.com/products) I stock female-owned businesses. It’s that Lizzo song where she says, ‘If I’m going to shine everybody’s gonna shine’. It kind of feels like that.”

Bowls & Broths by Pippa Middlehurst is published by Quadrille, priced £16.99. Photography by India Hobson & Magnus Edmondson. Available September 2. Below are three recipes for you to try at home.

TANTANMEN

(Serves 2)

For the ramen noodles:

½ tsp fine sea salt

¼ tsp kansui

130g water

310g high-protein flour (11 per cent)

Potato starch or cornflour (cornstarch), for dusting

For the ramen eggs:

6 medium eggs

4 tbsp light soy sauce

4 tbsp mirin

250ml dashi stock (made from powder) or water (cold)

For the meat sauce:

1 tbsp neutral oil

200g minced beef (>15% fat) or 100g each of minced beef and pork

1 tsp Chinese five spice

2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

2 tbsp sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce

½ tsp dark soy sauce

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

To season the bowls:

¼ tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns, sieved

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

½ tsp light brown sugar

2 tsp Chinkiang black rice vinegar

4 tsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp Chinese sesame paste

2 tbsp Sichuan chilli oil (or to taste)

To serve:

2 pak choi, leaves separated

200g fresh ramen noodles or 100g dried ramen noodles

1 ramen egg

600ml chicken or veg broth

1 spring onion, finely sliced

Method:

For the ramen eggs: bring a pan of water to a rapid boil. Lower the eggs gently into the water and cook for exactly six minutes. Remove from the water and run under very cold water for three to four minutes, or plunge into a bowl of water and ice cubes. When completely cool, peel the eggs. Combine the soy, mirin and dashi. Submerge the eggs in the liquid and cover with baking paper. Alternatively, place the eggs in a sealable container or resealable plastic bag filled with the liquid. Leave in the fridge overnight to chill and marinate before eating. Will keep in the fridge for up to five days. For the ramen noodles (if making): combine the salt, kansui and water, pour over the flour and mix until dry straggles have formed. Bring the dough together into a ball. To do this, apply pressure using the palm of your hand in a downward motion. Continue to do this until the straggles of dough are forced together to form a rough ball and cover with a damp dish towel, and rest for 15 minutes. In the meantime, set up your pasta roller. Clamp it firmly to your worktop as the dough is extremely hard. Remove the dough from the bowl. Take a rolling pin and press firmly onto the dough, section by section, until the it is thin enough to pass through the pasta roller on its widest setting. Pass the dough through. What will emerge may be quite rough and ragged – this is OK! If the sheet has separated, or holes have appeared, don’t worry. Pass the dough through again on the widest setting and repeat this step until you have one complete sheet of dough, with no holes. Reset the pasta roller setting to the next narrowest setting. Pass the sheet of dough through. Reduce the setting once more, to the third narrowest setting. Pass the dough through. Now fold the dough in half, lengthways, and pass through the pasta roller on the widest setting. Repeat this sheeting and folding process until you have a smooth and even-textured sheet of dough. The edges of the sheet may have become dry and cracked – this is a result of the folding – but this is OK. Gently fold the sheet of dough in half and leave to rest for 30 minutes, covered with a clean dish towel. Once rested, unfold the dough sheet and pass through the pasta roller again to create a thin sheet – on my pasta roller this is a number five. Pass the dough through the cutting attachment, then lightly dust the noodles with potato starch or cornflour (cornstarch) to keep the strands separate. Place in a sealed container or freezer bag. They get better with age and resting them for 24 hours will improve the texture. They are good for up to five days in the fridge, but can also be enjoyed straight away. Cook the noodles in boiling salted water for 90 seconds. Rinse under cold water and serve in your chosen recipe. For the tantanmen: put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Blanch the pak choi for 30 seconds, scoop out, then set aside. Cook the noodles in the same water until al dente according to the packet. Drain, then rinse in plenty of cold water to stop them from sticking together. Set aside. To make the sauce, heat the neutral oil in a heavy-based frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the minced meat and let it caramelise for at least one minute, without stirring. Stir, then continue to cook for five to six minutes until browned all over. Add the Chinese five spice and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the rice wine, stir again, then add the sweet bean sauce or hoisin, dark soy sauce and black pepper. Mix well, turn down the heat and cook for another two minutes. Add the ramen egg to a mug of boiling water to gently reheat. Heat the broth until steaming. To assemble, divide all the bowl seasonings between two serving bowls. Pour in the hot broth and mix well to combine. At the last moment, add the noodles, top with meat sauce, half a ramen egg each, sliced spring onions and the blanched pak choi.

JALAPEÑO BEEF ‘DAN DAN’ DUMPLINGS

(Makes 24–30 dumplings, to serve 4)

400g minced beef (20 per cent fat)

2 garlic cloves, grated

3 spring onions, finely sliced

2 tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos

1 tbsp jalapeño pickle juice

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp sea salt (any kind)

2 tsp light brown sugar

2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp duck fat or beef fat, melted

3 tbsp sui mi ya cai

24-30 dumpling wrappers or 450g frozen dumpling wrappers

1 tbsp neutral oil

For the dumpling wrappers:

340g plain flour, plus extra for dusting

1 pinch of fine sea salt

170g water

To season the bowls:

8 tbsp Chinese sesame paste

2 tbsp boiling water

4–8 tbsp Lao Gan Ma Crispy Chilli Oil or similar

4 tbsp jalapeño pickle juice

2 tsp light (soft) brown sugar

To serve:

2 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1 small bunch of chives, finely sliced

1 tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns, sieved

Method:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the beef, garlic, spring onions, pickled jalapeños and juice, soy sauce, salt, sugar, rice wine, sesame oil and fat. Stir with a wooden spoon in a clockwise direction until it resembles a thick, sticky paste – really beat the beef around the bowl to create this texture. You can incorporate a little more water if necessary. Add the sui mi ya cai and stir through. Place the mixture in the fridge while you prepare the dumpling wrappers. If making your own dumpling wrappers: add the flour and salt to a mixing bowl and stir through with chopsticks or a fork to separate any large lumps. Add the water and quickly combine until a crumbly mixture has formed. Continue to mix until it comes together as a ball of dough. Knead for one to two minutes, then turn out onto the worktop. Continue to knead the dough (by hand or in a stand mixer) for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Mould the dough into a ball and place it inside a freezer bag, or in a bowl covered with a damp, clean dish towel. Leave to rest at room temperature while you prepare the dumpling filling. If you are preparing the dough more than one hour ahead of time, you can leave it to rest in the fridge. Once rested, take the ball of dough and knead it for three to five minutes. Now it should feel very supple and elastic. Cut the ball into thirds, you will be working with one third at a time, so put the other two thirds back into a freezer bag or covered bowl to prevent the dough from drying out. Roll the first dough third into a sausage shape, about 25 centimetres long. You may need to coat your worktop with a sprinkling of flour. Cut the dough into equal two centimetre pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. If you’re not using immediately, store in a container in the fridge. To make a wrapper, take one of the small dough balls and flatten it, using three fingers, into a small disc, similar to a cookie. Roll the dough as thinly as you can, to form a round, 10 centimetres in diameter. Make sure there is a light dusting of flour on each wrapper as they are prone to sticking together. Repeat with the remaining dough, working a third at a time to stop the dough from drying out. Take a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place one large teaspoon of filling in the centre. Bring the edges of the wrapper together and gently press the dough to seal the dumpling. You can add some pleats if you want to, but this isn’t necessary. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and place the completed dumplings on a tray lined with baking paper, at least one cm away from each other. Mix the Chinese sesame paste with the boiling water, and stir to dissolve. To each serving bowl, add two tablespoons of the Chinese sesame paste mixture (this should still be warm from the boiling water), one to two tablespoons chilli oil (to taste), one tablespoon pickle juice and ½ teaspoon sugar. Mix well to combine, until the sugar is dissolved. Heat the neutral oil in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and boil the kettle. Add some dumplings to the pan – they will need at least one cm between them, so you may need to cook them in batches. After three to four minutes, the bottoms of the dumplings will become brown and crisp. Add enough boiling water to fill the pan to a depth of about one centimetre. This will create a burst of steam, so make sure your face is a safe distance away! Put a lid on the pan and leave the dumplings to steam for six to eight minutes or until all the water has evaporated. Remove the lid and let the dumplings fry on the bottom of the pan for another minute or two, then remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly – this will loosen them from the pan and make them easier to scoop out. Serve the dumplings in the sauce, crispy side up. Top with sesame seeds, chives and a pinch of ground Sichuan pepper.

MISO CHOCOLATE FONDANT

(Serves 4)

3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

1½ tbsp white miso

50g dark chocolate (70+ per cent cocoa solids)

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

60g golden caster sugar

50g plain flour

150g raspberries

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4. Add the sesame seeds to a mini food processor, or using a pestle and mortar, crush to form a coarse powder. Butter four seven centimetre ramekins or pudding moulds and sprinkle the crushed sesame seeds inside, coating the bottom and edges of the ramekin completely. Add the butter, miso and chocolate to a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, ensuring the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Melt and combine the mix until smooth, then set aside t?6??&VBF?RVvr???7Vv"??6W&FR&??V??F?R??GW&R?2F?6?????'??f?B??F?R6???FR?6???GW&Rv?F??&vR?F?7??6?WfR??F?Rf?W"?f?BF?2F?&?v??F?f?FRF?R??GW&R&WGvVV?F?Rf?"&????6R?F?R?FF?6?V??F?R?V?F?6?f?"??FW2?&V?fR??fRF?6??f?Gv???FW2?2F?W?6??F?W?6???6?&??v?g&?F?RVFvW2?F?R&??6?v?F??6&VgV???W'BF?Rf?F?2?F?6W'f???FR?6W'fRv?F???"ff?&?FR?6R7&V???&??7&V??6????gV??&7&W'&?W2????