Challenge overcome. It must be said that there are some mandates that are more inspiring than others. Let's say we didn't have to ask much of ourselves to take on this project: we learned how to cook ramen according to the rules of the art, from preparing the precious broth to assembling the bowl, including the selected toppings. Let's dive!
Published yesterday at 11:00 am.
We know that ramen counters have become increasingly popular in recent years. Montreal, which has dozens of good spots, even hosts its festival, Ramen Ramen, in the fall. Hubert Cormier smelled the seam when he realized that the madness was not limited to the metropolis. From Quebec to Trois-Rivières, even in his family in Sept-Îles, everyone now eats ramen noodles!
He welcomes us in the bright kitchen of his house in Trois-Rivières, which also serves as an office and where he also has his photo studio. The nutritional doctor, multitasking communicator, and prolific author behind Bring Me Some Ramen! (Pun totally accepted, it goes without saying) Last fall he loves cooking and it shows. He also enjoys receiving and editing his presentations. And above all, he likes to eat.
Noodles for your health
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
Ramen is featured in Hubert Cormier's latest cookbook.
In addition, we immediately dare to ask: Isn't it paradoxical for a nutritionist to write a book about ramen, not a priori the healthiest dish to prepare? “He answers 'ra-men' with the same smile that keeps him going through the interview, 'men' means noodle! So it all depends on how you prepare these noodles! »
Let's clear up the misunderstanding once and for all.
When we think of ramen, we think of a quick cone with a quick twist. On the contrary: it is long [à préparer] !
Hubert Cormier, doctor of nutrition and author
You just have to leaf through his book (with 85 recipes, including stocks, sauces, soups and salads) to get a clear picture. For example, tonkotsu pork broth, one of the most popular, needs to simmer for 12 hours—”That can take up to 24 hours!” “. The same goes for chashu pork, that rolled pork belly stuffing that's simmered for three hours and then cooled for at least eight hours Even soft-boiled eggs should ideally rest for 48 hours! So no, we can't say that ramen exactly qualifies as fast food, quite the opposite. But that doesn't mean it's complicated, you'll see.
Coming back to the health aspect: Here too, everything depends on the choice of pasta. From fried instant noodles to fresh homemade noodles, the selection is vast and, in our opinion, ranges from the healthiest to the healthiest. For his part, Hubert Cormier opts for non-fried instant ramen (available in all grocery stores) or fresh noodles available in the frozen sections of Asian grocery stores.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, THE PRESS
The selection of pasta is huge… and more or less “healthy”.
It all depends on the point of view, says our interlocutor: If you're looking for low-sodium recipes, you've come to the right place. “Yes, it’s high in sodium,” he admits.
But it all depends on the vision. If cooking at home is healthier for you because you can control the ingredients, add vegetables, and control the quantities, then yes, it is healthy. It's always in the eye of the beholder.
Hubert Cormier, doctor of nutrition and author
Or from the one who cooks, and above all from the one who tastes good, one might add.
If you want to know everything: No, Hubert Cormier did not go to Japan to study the art of broth in order to write this book. But he's eaten plenty of them here and there between Toronto and Montreal, he says, while refusing to give us his good addresses. And he doesn't feel like a fraud. “I cook what I like,” he says with a laugh. It may not be 100% traditional, but it's close! »
And when we see how he prepares with ease his dashi (the basic broth to which we owe the famous deep umami flavor so unique and so typical of ramen) and inhales the delicious sea scent that comes from it, we understand that he understands the intricacies of the matter quite well.
Visit Hubert Cormier's Good for you website
Bring me some ramen!
Saint-Jean publisher
193 pages
Did you know ?
This typical Japanese dish originally comes from… China! Ramen, which literally means “hand-pulled noodles,” is even said to have originated in China in the 15th century. At the end of the 19th century, Japan began importing its neighbor's famous noodles. The first soups as we know them today appeared in Tokyo at the beginning of the 20th century, when restaurateurs quietly added pork belly, green onions, bamboo shoots and other garnishes, as well as more than one broth. After World War II and the massive American wheat subsidy, the Japanese developed a true passion for this comforting dish, which conquered the entire planet 50 years later.