Crawfish and Corn Creole Ramen

A Louisiana-style ramen with crawfish tails, sweet corn, and Cajun spices.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces dried ramen noodles (2 bricks, seasoning packets discarded)
• 1 pound cooked crawfish tails (thawed if frozen, juices reserved)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
• 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 3 cups seafood stock or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced (greens and whites separated)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook ramen noodles for 2–3 minutes until just tender, drain, rinse under cool water, and set aside.
2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Stir in Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, thyme, and cayenne; cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add corn, drained tomatoes, and stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes to meld flavors.
5. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and salt to taste. Stir in half the green onions and all the parsley.
6. Add crawfish tails with any juices and lemon juice. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes to heat through (do not overcook crawfish).
7. Add cooked ramen noodles to the pot, tossing gently to coat and heat through.
8. Divide noodles, broth, and crawfish among bowls. Top with remaining green onions, desired toppings, and extra lemon wedges if desired.