Shoyu Chashu Chicken Ramen by Yuki Gomi

Prep Time: 1h 30min
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1h 50min
Serving Size: 4 servings

An ideal ramen recipe to start with, it will not take hours to cook, but it’s a tasty Tokyo-style ramen full of umami. A nourishing, reassuring treat – or stamina food – for you to enjoy at home.

Ingredients

Chicken stock

• Bones of 2 fresh chicken carcasses (or whole chicken bones)
• 1 small leek or 1/2 large leek
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 3cm fresh ginger
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stick of celery
• 4 tbsp dashi powder or 1 piece of dried kombu (5cm square)

Chicken chashu

• 2-4 (800-900g) chicken legs and chicken breasts (deboned)
• 3cm thinly sliced ginger
• 2 tbsp dashi powder or 1 piece of dried kombu (5cm square)
• 1 whole small garlic
• 150ml soy sauce
• 4 tbsp (60ml) sake
• 4 tbsp (60ml) mirin
• 35g (2 tbsp) dark brown sugar

Ramen toppings

• 1 sheet of nori (seaweed)
• 4 spring onions
• Shichimi (Japanese seven spice) – optional
• 2-4 boiled eggs

Method

Chicken stock

1. Clean the carcass bones under running tap water. Put all the bones in a big stockpot and cover with cold water (approx 1.5 litres).
2. Bring to the boil. After 10 minutes of boiling, skim the scum from the top of the stock.
3. Cut the vegetables into rough pieces and add to the pot. Bring back to the boil, then simmer for one hour.
4. Strain the stock through a fine sieve.
5. Add the 4 tbsp of dashi powder or infuse the dried kombu.

Chicken chashu

1. Use string or toothpicks to hold each piece of meat together.
2. In a very hot pan, sear each piece on both sides, until golden brown.
3. In a medium-sized pot add all the ingredients, plus 150ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes, then remove the lid and set aside to cool. (Leaving the chicken in the sauce in the fridge overnight, or at least for a few hours, will improve the flavour.)
4. Take the chicken from the sauce, remove the strings and slice very thinly. It will be much easier to slice when it has cooled. You can warm up the sliced chashu in the oven before serving.
5. Set the sauce to one side: you can use it for marinating the boiled eggs for the toppings and to eat with the ramen.

Serving the ramen and toppings

1. Pour 2-3 tbsp of sauce into individual noodle bowls.
2. Reheat the chicken stock by bringing it to the boil in a large pan.
3. In a separate pan filled with boiling water, add 80g-100g per serving of ramen noodles and cook for 1-2 minutes, according to packet instructions.
4. Pour 250-350ml of hot chicken stock into each bowl and add the strained noodles.
5. Put the sliced chashu, half or a whole boiled egg and the other toppings on top to complete the bowl of ramen.
6. Serve immediately, or the noodles will become soggy.