- 1 butternut squash
- A thumb of ginger
- 1 red onion
- ½ cucumber
- 1 purple carrot
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Demerara sugar
- 1 chicken stock cube
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 chilli
- 50g tamari
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 rump minute steaks
- 2 nests of buckwheat noodles
- A handful of chives
- ½ tsp sea salt + extra for seasoning
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ltr boiling water
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 1.
Heat your oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6. Peel the squash. Halve it lengthways and scoop out the seeds. Compost or plant them. Chop the squash into 1-2cm cubes. Tumble on to a baking tray and toss with some salt and pepper and 1 tbsp olive oil. Roast for 30 mins, till softened.
- 2.
While the squash roasts, peel the ginger and slice into matchsticks. Peel the onion and thinly slice it. Trim the carrot and thinly slice it. Using a veg peeler, peel ribbons off half the cucumber.
- 3.
Whisk half the jar of cider vinegar with 1½ tsp Demerara sugar and ½ tsp salt in a large bowl. Add the ginger and scrunch together. Add half the onion and all the carrot and cucumber ribbons. Toss together and set to one side to pickle.
- 4.
Make your ramen broth. Crumble the stock cube into a large pan. Drop in the remaining sliced red onion, star anise and cinnamon stick. Halve the chilli and add one half to the pan. Finely chop the rest and set to one side (keep the seeds in for heat if you like). Pour over 1 ltr boiling water. Pop on a lid. Simmer on a low heat for 20 mins.
- 5.
Pour the tamari, remaining cider vinegar and sugar into a shallow dish. Peel and grate in the garlic. Pour in 1 tbsp olive oil and whisk together. Place the steaks in the marinade and turn them to coat.
- 6.
Heat a frying pan for a couple of mins. When warm, lift the steaks from the marinade and shake most of it off. Fry for 1 min on each side. Cook a little longer for less pink steaks. Place the steaks on a plate and cover with foil to rest.
- 7.
Put 2 nests of noodles in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 3-4 mins till tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Taste the ramen stock. Add some salt and pepper if it needs it. Lift out the star anise, cinnamon stick and chilli with a slotted spoon. Drop the cooked noodles into the broth and cook for a further 1 min.
- 8.
Pour the reserved teriyaki marinade into the frying pan with 2 tbsp water. Bring to a bubble then turn off the heat.
- 9.
Using a ladle, spoon the noodles and broth into a couple of bowls. Top with the roast squash. Thinly slice the steak and lay on top. Pour the teriyaki sauce over the squash and steak. Snip over the chives and scatter over the chopped chilli. Serve with the veg pickles.