Miso noodles with charred corn

I am a huge fan of corn and at this time of the year I could eat it non stop. Sweet corn and salty miso are such a perfect marriage that today’s dish is a plate of simple miso noodles with charred corn I concocted one day after coming home to a pretty empty fridge. I was hungry and it really delivered so I hope that it will help you out too should you find yourself in a spot of culinary bother.

This plate of miso noodles is substantial but not heavy. It’s super easy and quick to make, which makes it ideal for a quick midweek dinner. If you want to make it more substantial, add your favourite tofu or tempeh, but I had it just like this with a handful of roasted peanuts on top and I was a happy bunny. Enjoy!

MORE ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS

NOODLES: Any fairly thin noodles that hold well together will work here. I used three bundles of ramen noodles by Itsu, which is enough for three people normally (my husband eats for two 😉 . The key is not to overcook the noodles so be sure to check their doneness towards the end of the cooking time as the cooking time on the packet is often wrong. If you want to make this dish without gluten, use small rice noodles.

CORN ON THE COB: I used two corns on the cob for these miso noodles. You can use canned or frozen sweetcorn too. If using frozen, defrost it and then blot on paper towels well. If using canned, drain well and then blot well before pan-frying.

OIL: You want two types of oil for this recipe. A tablespoon of regular frying oil is needed to pan-fry the corn and to make the dressing you want flavoured oil, chilli infused oil, for example. I had some dead spring onions (scallions) at the back of my fridge so I made spring onion infused oil (like in this recipe) and used that as a base for my dressing. I also often use shop-bought chilli oil instead.

MISO PASTE: I used a mellow white miso paste to make the dressing for my noodles, but brown one will work okay too. It has a more assertive taste so you may need to use less.

BROCCOLI: I added some tenderstem broccoli for extra nutrition and because they only take 4 minutes to cook. I chop them up small and boil them in the same water I use to cook my noodles. I scoop my broccoli out and pop the noodles in to save on water, waiting and washing up.

LIME: I added the zest of a lime for some fragrance and a little bit of juice for acidity needed to balance the natural sweetness of corn.

HOW TO MAKE IT?

1) CHAR CORN

Cut the kernels off the corn. Pre-heat a tablespoon of oil in a heavy bottom skillet or pan, add corn kernels and pan fry them until cooked and nicely charred. Stir it from time to time, but not too often so that the char has a chance to develop.

2) COOK BROCCOLI AND NOODLES

Boil a large pot of water. First, prep the broccoli by cutting it into bite-size pieces. I cut the crown off and cut the stems into halves or even quarters if particularly thick. Boil broccoli until al dente, then add fish it out with a slotted spoon and boil the noodles in the same water. Reserve a quarter cup of noodle cooking water just before draining.

3) MAKE THE DRESSING

Combine dressing ingredients together and whisk some hot noodle cooking water into it (2 tbsp approx.) to thin. Adjust seasoning to taste.

2 corns on the cob, kernels shaved off
15 ml / 1 tbsp frying oil
45 ml / 3 tbsp chilli oil*, shop-bought or homemade
2½ tbsp white miso paste
zest of 1 lime and 1½ tbsp juice
1 tsp maple syrup (or sugar)
100 g / 3.5 tenderstem broccoli
200 g / 7 oz dry ramen noodles (or flat rice noodles if GF)
roasted peanuts, to serve (optional)

METHOD

Pre-heat a large skillet or a heavy frying pan. Add a tablespoon of frying oil, once warm add corn kernels. Pan fry them until fully opaque and charred in places, don’t stir too often to allow that beautiful char to develop.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil while you chop your broccoli. Cut them into equal bite-size pieces, cut thick stems into halves or even quarters if needed. Boil for about 4 minutes, use a slotted spoon / spider strainer to fish out.
Once your broccoli is ready, cook the noodles in the same water. Reserve a quarter cup of noodle cooking water before draining.
Combine chilli oil, miso paste, lime zest and juice, maple syrup and 1-2 tbsp of noodle cooking water in a bowl. Whisk well until smooth. Taste and season with more salt or a splash of soy sauce if needed.
Toss drained noodles in the miso dressing. Divide between 2-3 plates, top with a generous amount of charred corn and broccoli. Top with toasted peanuts for crunch.

NOTES

*CHIILI OIL: you can made shop bought chilli oil – if using shop-bought oil that has been seasoned with salt or soy, you may want to use less miso, be sure to taste and adjust. I made a simple spring onion / scallion infused oil to which I added some toasted sesame seeds and chilli flakes.

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