Our first take on a Breakfast Ramen — avocado toast in noodle form — made us want to try a few other variations on a breakfast bowl. Boiling Umi noodles is so quick and easy that it actually makes a very reasonable, and delicious, breakfast option. This version is more of a weekend brunch affair: Fried eggs, bacon, and homemade hash browns. The amazing thing here is how the potatoes tangle perfectly with the noodles, making a crispy foil for the chewy noodles. It's surprisingly perfect. And you can feel good about the nutrition in the Umi noodles, chock full of protein, fiber, and iron. This dish hits the spot like great diner fare, but in some ways even more fun to eat because of the noodles.
Active time: 30 minutes | Easy | 3 servings
1 russet potato or 3 smaller Yukon Gold-style potatoes
Sea salt or kosher salt to taste
6 pieces bacon
1 package (12 ounces) Umi Organic ramen noodles
3 eggs
3 tablespoon softened butter + 3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 teaspoons olive oil
3 teaspoons soy sauce or tamari
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: chives, green onions, hot sauce
Directions
1. Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil.
2. Grate potatoes. Wrap potatoes in a kitchen towel, then twist and squeeze to remove as much liquid as possible. Transfer to a bowl. Season with a good punch of salt and pepper and toss well.
3. Fry bacon in a pan over moderate heat in a single layer to your desired level of crispiness, turning once or twice. Drain bacon on a paper towel on a plate. Drain off some of the bacon fat into a jar, leaving a thin layer fully coating the bottom of the pan. (Save reserved bacon fat to use later.)
4. In the same pan you cooked the bacon fat over moderate heat, add the potatoes, pressing top down once with a spatula. Cook until golden brown on underside, about 12 minutes. Flip. It's okay if the cake begins to fall apart. Just flip all the separate pieces.
5. While you cook the second side of the potato cake, gently tease apart and loosen the noodles. Add the noodles to the water and boil 2 minutes, stirring often. Drain in a strainer. In a large boil, mash together 3 tablespoons butter, 3 teaspoons olive oil, and soy sauce or tamari. Transfer noodles to bowl and toss well. The butter should melt upon touching the hot noodles. Once fully tossed, divide between 3 bowls. Top each bowl with 2 pieces of bacon.
6. Check the potatoes. Continue cooking until the bottom side is also golden brown, about 12 minutes total. Break into wedges or pieces with your spatula, and divide between the noodle bowls.
7. Heat a medium sized fry pan over high heat. Add 3 tablespoons butter and cook until butter is melted and sizzling. Break the eggs into a bowl and slide into the hot pan. Turn heat to moderate. Cook until egg whites are starting to set. Tilt the pan so you can fill a spoon with melted butter. Drizzle the hot butter over the top of the eggs where the white remains uncooked. Continue to do this until the whites are fully cooked. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place one egg on each noodle bowl. Garnish bowls with optional chives or green onions and serve with hot sauce. Eat immediately!
Photo by Zak Margolis.
