Ramen and a Martini from the Abyss #DarkRecipes #SolarEclipse

Five years ago, our friends had an Eclipse party. That might have been the first time that we discussed what an eclipse was with the boys. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun.

Tomorrow, on Monday, August 21, 2017, all of North America will be treated to an eclipse. And anyone within the path of totality will see one of nature’s most awe inspiring sights: a total solar eclipse. This path, where the moon will completely blot out the sun, will stretch from Oregon to South Carolina. People outside of the path still see a partial solar eclipse where the moon covers part of the sun.

Sue of Palatable Pastime is hosting a virtual potluck. She asked us to come up with dark recipes for the event. No special instructions, just "the theme is 'dark'." Okay...here's how we all interpreted it.

Dark Recipes for the Solar Eclipse

• Blackberry Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Chinese Mooncakes (Snow Skin Mooncakes) by Caroline's Cooking
• Deep Dark Chocolate Brownies by Palatable Pastime
• Eclipse Pizza by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Homemade Moon Pies by Family Around the Table
• Ramen and a Martini from the Abyss by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sweet Dark Cherry Crepes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Triple Chocolate Cookies by The Freshman Cook

When I posted some sneak peak photos, a blogger friend of mine commented that she knew I would use squid ink. Yeah, I guess I'm predictable that way. It was either that or a 100% cacao solids dark chocolate; I figured this way was going to be a little less common. I've used cuttlefish ink* to make Hand-Rolled Cuttlefish Ink Pasta, Arròs Negre {Black Paella} with Allioli a la Catalana, Fideuà Negra, and Crni Rižoto.

Forbidden Rice Seafood Ramen 

with Cuttlefish Ink Broth

So, I decided to make a ramen with cuttlefish ink broth and use forbidden rice noodles*. For the "sun" part, I added hard-boiled eggs. Thinly sliced, marinated beef made this a hearty dinner.

Ingredients serves 4

• 4 C beef stock, prefer homemade so you can control the salt
• 2 t cuttlefish ink*
• 2 T miso paste (I used yellow miso)
• 8 ounces thinly sliced beef
• 3 T rice wine vinegar
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 T toasted sesame oil
• 2 forbidden rice ramen noodle cakes
• 8 C water
• 4 boiled eggs, shelled and halved lengthwise (I boil them for 5 minutes, then leave them until cooled)
• black sesame seeds for garnish

Procedure

The beef can be prepared the day before serving. Place the beef slices in a rimmed dish and pour in the rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. In a skillet, cook the beef until preferred doneness. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside. Pour the marinade into the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Pour the cooked marinade over the beef.

In a large soup pot, bring the beef stock and cuttlefish ink to a boil. Whisk in the miso until dissolved. Keep at a low summer.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the noodle cakes, and cook as directed on the package. My package said 4 minutes; you want them just cooked, but still on the chewy side. Drain and drop the noodles into the warm stock.

To serve, spoon noodles into individual serving bowls. Scoop in stock to cover the noodles. Garnish with beef and eggs. Sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Martini from the Abyss

Ingredients makes 1 cocktail

• 2 1/2 ounce gin (I used the Dry Rye from St. George's)
• 1/2 ounce dry vermouth
• 1/8 t cuttlefish ink

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a martini glass. Serve immediate.

Cheers and happy eclipsing! Here on the central coast of California, we aren't going to get to view the total eclipse. But I can certainly fill a bowl and raise a glass in honor of this once-in-a-lifetime event.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. It doesn't cost you anything more, but it helps support my culinary adventures in a small way. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item of your choice.