How to make a ramen, Johnson style

What is a Johnson Ramen? Well, it's what I call a ramen made with an egg and American cheese. I call it that because when I was in Yanji, China, I went out to eat at a Korean restaurant that served Gimbap (Korean rolls made with meat and vegatables). One kind was called Johnson Gimbap. After my inquiring about the name, the owner said it's so named because it has American cheese in it. American cheese, Johnson, makes sense.
I think the following is one of the simplest and most satisfying variations of the ramen. It's even better with some kimchee, but it is not necessary. [Recipe adapted from Guinea Fowl]




You start and end with three ingredients:
1 package Shin Ramyun
1 egg
1 slice American cheese




Mise en place baby! Arrange your ingredients before you start cooking to ensure an orderly process. 1-2-3, A-B-C. Ok, now get a measuring cup and fill it with 560 cc's/ml of water, or about 3 cups worth.




Pour it into a small pot and bring to a boil.
Open the Shin package, wherein you'll find two packages of spices and dried vegatables and a round disk of flash-fried, dehydrated noodles.
While we wait for the water to boil, it's worth pointing out that Ramen is only possible because of one man's innovative mind, the mind of Momofuku Ando, R.I.P. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Momofuku_Ando




There's a great epigraph in Bill Buford's book "Heat," a George Orwell quote, about the unsung heroes of culinary inventions and innovations who have changed the course of human history as much as the oft-mentioned kings, generals, et al. The impact Ando's invention has and will continue to have on humankind? I'm not sure, but it's probably more than Gen. Tommy Franks'.





Put the noodles and spices and vegs into the pot and stir.







Let cook for about 3 minutes, separating the noodles and stirring. Now, make a little space in the middle of noodles, and crack the egg right into it.



Cook for about 1 minute, depending on how well you want your egg cooked. Remember that it will continue to cook in the pot after taking off heat. Stir around the egg, being careful not to break the yellow orb. This is important since you want to use it as a "well" of yolk to dip your noodles into bite by bite.

Now comes the controversial part. The cheese. Some hate it, some can't do without it. It's like cilantro, or grape leaves. There is a genetic basis for the prediliction, but simply put, once you go cheese, you don't go back. Lay the cheese over the egg and spoon some soup onto it to so that it melts.



That's it. Take the pot off and eat directly out of it. Get a little bit of noodle, dip into the well, slurp, repeat.