So before somebody assumes that I was smoking something, I came up with this dish in response to a friend giving me a “Mystery Box” challenge. She wanted to see what I could do with spicy Korean instant ramen and chia seeds. Hilariously enough, my mind did not want to go in the savory direction, just because when I think of chia seeds, I think of this sweet citrus jelly we would be served after dinner that was made using them. So I chose to omit the spicy bouillon mix, and only use the freeze-dried ramen noodles from that packet, and focus on the ramen as a textural element. Unluckily for me, the ramen was coated in this sort of bouillon powder that made is really savory, and had freeze dried scallions mixed into it. So I had to spend about 4 minutes just removing the scallions first. I omitted salt from the crunch dough I made(basically a shortbread that also uses the ramen noodles in place of half of the flour), and conveniently, it tasted very similarly to corn of all things. Corn, peaches, and citrus all work nicely in both dessert and savory together, so I just sort of ran with it. With the chia seeds, I soaked them with some peach nectar and yuzu to give them sweetness and acidity. I went with a yogurt panna cotta just as a base to the dessert, and to add creaminess and some tartness. The usage of white peaches ties back in with the peach nectar I used in the chia seeds, and they are perfect for adding some freshness to the final product!

For the yogurt panna cotta:
1 tbsp agar agar
1/4 cup heavy cream
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Heat up the agar with cream, salt, and sugar first. Once dissolved, mix into the yogurt. Pour into containers and freeze for 40 minutes to set.

For the ramen “crunch”:
1/4 cup crushed instant ramen noodles(make sure it’s just the noodles!)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp chia seeds
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tspn vanilla extract

Mix into a rough dough. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cool down the crumble completely before attempting to plate with.

For the yuzu chia seeds:
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup peach nectar
2 tbsp yuzu juice
a pinch of salt

Mix together until the seeds are hydrated. Allow the mixture to sit until the seeds form a gelatinous

For the macerated peaches:
1 white peach, peeled and diced
2 tbsp yuzu juice
2 tbsp peach nectar
a pinch of salt

Toss together. Keep covered and refrigerated until time to plate.

For garnish:
1 white peach, shaved

Layer on top of the panna cotta your macerated peach cubes, then the chia seeds, your crunch, and finally, the shaved peach pieces.