Salmon and aubergine ramen

A few weeks ago I made up a new noodle soup recipe, and it came out fantastically well. It is really tasty, but needs a pretty big bowl. A vegetarian alternative could be to use fried chunks or slices of tofu, shallow fried in groundnut oil until the outside is crispy, cooked separately and added to the noodles before the stock and vegetables. I love the bubbliness inside fried silken tofu, but firm tofu would probably provide a more substantial meal.

Ingredients (serves 2)
2 large salmon fillets, skin on
1.5 pints chicken stock (To my shame, I used Oxo, but it tasted fine)
2-3 tsp of ginger, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
1 tsp chilli flakes - add more or less according to taste (I used a few teaspoons of the Very Lazy stuff in a jar as it was all I had)
2 tsp mirin
2 tsp nam pla
3-4 tsp soy sauce, according to taste
Fresh coriander
2 spring onions, chopped
Half an aubergine, chopped into sticks
Half a red pepper, sliced thinly
2 drops Tabasco sauce
2 blocks medium egg noodles, cooked according to packet instruction and set aside
Squeeze of lemon juice
Groundnut oil

1. Heat a little groundnut oil in a wok, and add the salmon fillets, skin down, and fry on a medium-low heat without moving them for a few minutes, until the skin is crispy and beginning to stick to the wok, and the salmon is starting to cook from the bottom up.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, spring onions and stir fry with the salmon (bash it around a bit now) for a few minutes.
3. Add the stock, mirin, nam pla, soy, lemon juice and tabasco, and bring to a simmer.
4. Add the aubergine and red pepper, and simmer for ten minutes, or until aubergine and pepper have softened.
5. Taste the stock, and add more soy, chilli, ginger or nam pla if desired.
5. Refresh the noodles under cold water and add them to bowls.
6. Place one salmon fillets on top of each bowl of noodles
6. Ladle the stock and vegetables over the noodles and salmon, and garnish with roughly torn coriander. That's it!

Itadakimasu!