By: Irvin Ji
Ingredients
For the Broth:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced (or dried shiitake mushrooms)
- 1 medium onion, halved
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1-inch piece of ginger, sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon sake (Japanese rice wine)
- 1 tablespoon miso paste (optional, for added depth)
For the Tare (Seasoning Sauce):
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 tablespoon sugar
For the Toppings:
- 4 oz fresh ramen noodles
- 1 cup sliced cooked chashu pork
- 2 soft-boiled eggs (marinated in soy sauce and mirin)
- 1 cup sliced green onions
- 1/2 cup bamboo shoots
- 1/2 cup corn kernels (optional)
- 1 sheet nori (seaweed), cut into strips
- 1/2 cup bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup spinach or bok choy (optional)
- Pickled ginger (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the Broth:
- Combine Ingredients: In a large pot, combine chicken broth, water, shiitake mushrooms, onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Simmer: Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. If using dried shiitake mushrooms, simmer for 1 hour to extract more flavor.
- Strain: Remove the vegetables and mushrooms from the broth using a fine-mesh strainer or slotted spoon. Discard the solids. Stir in soy sauce, mirin, sake, and miso paste if using. Adjust seasoning to taste.
2.Make the Tare:
- Combine Ingredients: In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar.
- Heat and Stir: Heat the mixture in a small saucepan over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. It should be a slightly thick dark brown liquid. Remove from heat and set aside.
3.Prepare the Noodles:
- Cook Noodles: Cook fresh ramen noodles according to package instructions. If using instant noodles, cook them in a separate pot according to the package directions, then drain and set aside.
4. Prepare Toppings:
- Soft-Boiled Eggs: If marinating, soak the soft-boiled eggs in a mixture of soy sauce and mirin for at least 30 minutes.
- Chashu Pork: Slice the cooked pork into thin rounds. If using pre-cooked pork, warm it slightly in a pan or microwave.
- Prepare Vegetables: Blanch spinach or bok choy if using. Slice green onions, cut nori into strips, and prepare any other desired toppings.
5. Assemble the Ramen:
- Season the Broth: Divide the tare evenly among serving bowls.
- Add Broth: Ladle hot broth into each bowl over the tare, mixing well.
- Add Noodles: Place a portion of cooked noodles in each bowl.
- Add Toppings: Arrange the sliced pork, soft-boiled eggs, green onions, bamboo shoots, corn, bean sprouts, and spinach on top of the noodles.
- Garnish: Garnish with nori strips and pickled ginger if desired.
6. Serve:
- Enjoy: Serve immediately while hot. Mix everything together before eating to enjoy the full flavor of your homemade shoyu ramen!