morning after is a hangover newsletter from Ashlie Stevens. It arrives the first weekend of the month with recipes for a chef-inspired hangover cure and a hydrating drink, as well as an entertainment suggestion for a morning best spent on the couch. Become a paid subscriber for premium content throughout the month, like additional recipes, chef interviews and city guides.
Eat: Chicken Matzo Ramen
I remember the first time I came across a photo of Steingold’s matzo ramen. I was trawling #soupstagram on an early weekend morning a few months ago and stopped dead in my tracks when I saw this bowl filled with rich, beefy broth, thick-cut pastrami, and a matzo ball “Scotch egg” nestled in a coil of golden ramen noodles.
As an occasionally homesick Chicago-area native, I began to experience some major FOMO. I am exactly 304.2 miles from Steingold’s front door, which feels just a touch out of range for hangover brunch (if you live in the area, definitely hit up their delivery app, though). After a few emails back and forth with owner Aaron Steingold, I proceeded to play around with my own very-lazy-day version, made using a few premade building blocks — rotisserie chicken, dried ramen — that make it accessible for a weekend in. This makes four servings.
Soup
3 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of grated ginger
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
½ cup of white onion
2 teaspoons sesame oil
¼ cup of soy sauce
½ chicken ramen flavor packet
6 cups of chicken broth (plus an additional 1 cup on deck)
2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
Matzo Balls
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon white miso paste
1 tablespoon minced fresh dill
3/4 cup matzo meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Freshly cracked pepper
Toppings and Noodles
2 packets of ramen noodles, cooked according to directions and drained
Shredded carrots
Soft-boiled eggs
Minced fresh dill
Chopped scallions
In a large soup pot, add ginger, garlic and onion to the olive oil. Saute over medium heat until the onion is softened and the garlic is lightly browned. Toss in the sesame, soy sauce and broth. Give it a stir and bring it to a light simmer before adding the shredded chicken and the flavor packet.
While that’s simmering on the stovetop, time to make your matzo balls. In a large mixing bowl, add the matzo meal, baking powder and cracked pepper. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, dill and miso paste. Pour the liquid mixture into the matzo meal and mix until just combined. Allow it to sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, then shape into small balls.
Carefully add the matzo balls to the broth and let them simmer for 30 minutes. If too much of the broth has been absorbed, add the reserved 1 cup.
Time to serve! Divide the ramen noodles among four bowls, and top with a ladle of soup and a few matzo balls. Garnish according to your tastes — I like shredded carrots, a soft-boiled egg, and a sprinkle of fresh dill and chopped scallions.
Drink: Blackberry Cold Brew Fizz
I hold onto cold brew season as long as I can, and I recently published a recipe for a fall-appropriate coffee mocktail that is fruity, bitter and just a little spicy. Here’s what you need for one serving:
4 tablespoons of fresh or frozen blackberries
1 tablespoon of light brown sugar
½ cup of water
3 ounces of cold brew
5 ounces of ginger beer
Instructions are over here at Salon Food.
Watch: The new season of “Great British Bake Off”
If you’ve followed “morning after” for a minute, you’ll know that there is typically a playlist here (check out the ones from past issues if you’re new!), but one of the things that has brought me an absurd amount of joy this past week is the latest season of the “Great British Bake Off.” Contestants are back in the tent and everything is lovely...until they are tasked with making a bust of their favorite celebrity out of cake.
It is an abject failure (ahem, check out this photo) and I adore every moment of it. Stream it on Netflix and see for yourself.