Miso Chicken Ramen

Recipe from Blue Apron! Look, they still don't deliver here, so I'll make it and make it better. My grocery store doesn't have kombu or mirin so I substituted chopped sea weed for the kombu and sugar in sherry for the mirin.

After the delay in starting the stream is was 21:00 before the recipe began and 22:00 by the time it was ready. I don't know if it was my substitutes, or Blue Apron's chronic shorting of spices, but the dish could have used something else. Something spicy I think, either marinade the chicken for an hour beforehand in some chili sauce or add some heat to the noodles. I also thought it was strange how the chicken and noodles were warm but the cucumber and tomatoes were cold. When mixed together (as the recipe suggested) it made a strange combination that wasn't necessarily pleasant. Will need some work to refine.

2  Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
½ lb  Fresh Ramen Noodles
4 oz  Cherry Or Charm Tomatoes
2  Scallions
1 ear  Of Corn
1  Kirby Cucumber
1  1-Inch Piece Ginger
1 Tbsp  Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp  Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp  Sweet White Miso Paste
1 tsp  Kombu
¼ cup  Mirin

Dry the chicken and season with salt & pepper. Cook in an oiled pan until browned and cooked through.  Shred into bite-sized pieces.

Halve the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the cucumber into rounds. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Remove and discard the corn husks and silks. Cut the corn kernels off the cob; discard the cob. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. In a bowl, whisk together the miso paste, sesame oil, half the mirin, and ⅓ cup of water. To the bowl of seasoned tomatoes, add the cucumber, half the ginger, and the remaining mirin. Stir to thoroughly combine. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the vegetables marinate, to the pan of reserved fond, add the corn, white bottoms of the scallions, and remaining ginger; season with salt and pepper. (If the pan seems dry, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil.) Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until slightly softened and fragrant. Turn off the heat.

Cook noodles in a pot of salted water stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking. Return to the pot. Add the soy sauce and all but a pinch of the kombu. Gently toss to combine. Divide between 2 dishes.

In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken and sauce. Stir to coat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Top the dressed noodles with the finished chicken (including any sauce from the bowl), cooked corn, and marinated vegetables (including any marinating liquid). Garnish with the green tops of the scallions. Garnish the marinated vegetables with the remaining kombu.