Living in Los Angeles is like being in a foodie wonderland: Throughout the city, even on street corners, there is often something delicious to eat.
The foodies here in L.A. do a lot of things right, but by far the top three are tacos, sushi and ramen. In fact, ramen is so good here, it inspired me recently to make my own.
Being the typical Jewish mother that I am, I made far too many noodles. The next morning it occurred to me, “Why not fry up some leftover ramen noodles, slap some sriracha mayo on top and have a nice ramen-inspired latke?”
One of the most fun things about this latke creation is the world of toppings you can choose. If you can master the soft-boiled egg, that might be nice on top of your latke with some fresh, peppery radishes and cilantro. You can also add sautéed shiitake mushrooms, sliced jalapeno or a combination of other flavors, just like your favorite ramen.
Think of this ramen latke as a beautifully fried blank canvas. Once you have it mastered, your flavor world is wide open. Go explore.
Ramen Latkes with Sriracha Mayo
For the latkes
2-3 packs instant ramen noodles, cooked and drained
1 egg
1 Tbs. garlic powder
canola oil for frying
½ cup soy sauce
For the sriracha mayo
1-1½ tsp. sriracha
½ cup mayonnaise
green onions, sliced
Cook the ramen noodles as directed on the back of the package, making sure to omit any flavor packets it came with. Drain and place in a bowl. Cover and cool for roughly 1-2 hours minimum.
Once cool, mix noodles with the egg and garlic powder.
Divide the noodles either into large muffin tins or ramekins. Or you can do what I did and divide them among a variety of small bowls and glasses. You want to make sure the latkes don’t get thicker than 1 inch, so if using something other than muffin tins or ramekins, be careful how many noodles you stack in there.
Place divided noodles in the refrigerator uncovered. Let cool for at least 2 hours but no more than 10.
Once your refrigeration period is done, heat 5 Tbs. of canola oil in a small frying pan (I recommend frying these one at a time). Make sure it’s hot enough by splashing a small drop of water into the oil. If the water sizzles, you’re ready.
Drop one ramekin of noodles into the hot oil and shape into a circular latke. Fry for 2-3 minutes and then flip. Add 1 teaspoon soy sauce to the latke after the first flip. Cook on the other side for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat until nice and brown for a total of 6-8 minutes per latke. Remove latke from pan and let dry on a plate lined with paper towel.
To make the sriracha mayo: Combine sriracha and mayo in a bowl. Taste as you stir, adding more sriracha according to your preference. Serve a dollop on top of each latke and sprinkle with sliced green onions.
Note: These can be refrigerated for up to two days. If you need to stack the latkes in the fridge, make sure you place wax or parchment paper between them so they do not stick together. Reheat in the oven at 400 degrees for 5 to 8 minutes.
Whitney Fisch is a middle school counselor and personal chef. She blogs about all things food and life at www.jewhungrytheblog.com.