Ramen

Snow on the sidewalk, steam on the glass—ramen feels made for our winters. A deep, savoury broth, slices of tender pork, and a jammy egg turn a simple bowl into a small celebration. This version follows time-tested ramen principles—broth + tare (seasoning) + aroma oil—so every slurp lands just right.

Prep Time: 30 minutes (plus egg/chashu marinating)

Total Time: 1 hour (quick broth) or 6–8 hours (slow broth)

Serves: 4

Ingredients
Tare (Shoyu Seasoning)

• ½ cup light soy sauce

• ¼ cup mirin

• 2 tbsp sake or dry sherry

• 2 tsp sugar

• ½ cup hot broth or water

Aroma Oil

• 3 tbsp neutral oil or chicken fat

• 1 garlic clove, smashed

• 3 slices ginger
  (simmer 3 minutes; discard solids)

Pork Chashu

• 700 g pork belly (rolled and tied) or pork shoulder

• ½ cup soy sauce, ½ cup water

• ¼ cup mirin, 2 tbsp sugar

• 2 slices ginger, 1 garlic clove
  (simmer gently 1½–2 hours until tender; cool in braising liquid, then slice)

Ramen Eggs

• 4 large eggs

• ½ cup chashu braising liquid + ¼ cup water (or ¼ cup soy + ¼ cup mirin + ¼ cup water)
  (boil eggs 6½ minutes; chill, peel, marinate 4–12 hours)

Noodles & Broth (Choose One)

• 4 portions fresh ramen noodles (or thin alkaline noodles)

Quick Broth

• 6 cups good chicken stock

• 1 piece kombu (5×5 cm)

• 2 dried shiitake (optional)
  (simmer 10 minutes, remove kombu/shiitake)

Slow Pork Broth

• 2 kg mixed pork bones (neck, trotters) + optional chicken wings

• 1 onion, halved; 5 slices ginger
  (cover with water, boil 5 minutes, drain/rinse; refill with fresh water and simmer 5–6 hours until milky; strain)

Toppings

• Spring onions, thinly sliced

• Nori sheets, halved

• Corn or blanched greens (optional)

• Toasted sesame seeds, to finish
  

Method

• Make the tare: Stir soy, mirin, sake, sugar, and hot water/broth until dissolved. Set aside.

• Aroma oil: Warm oil with garlic and ginger 3 minutes; strain.

• Chashu: Simmer pork with soy, water, mirin, sugar, ginger, and garlic until tender (about 1½–2 hours). Cool in liquid, then chill for neat slices.

• Ramen eggs: Boil eggs 6½ minutes; ice-bath, peel, and marinate in the chashu liquid (thinned with water) 4–12 hours.

• Broth: Choose the quick or slow method. Keep very hot.

• Noodles: Cook just before serving (fresh ramen usually 1–2 minutes). Drain well.

• Assemble (per bowl): Add 1½–2 tbsp tare to a warm bowl, drizzle 1 tsp aroma oil, pour in about 1½ cups boiling-hot broth and taste (add more tare if needed). Add noodles, top with sliced chashu, halved egg, spring onions, and nori. Finish with sesame.

Cook’s Notes

• If using dried noodles, undercook slightly—they’ll finish in the broth.

Variations

• Spicy Miso Pork Ramen: Replace shoyu tare with ¼ cup white miso + 1–2 tbsp chilli paste (or chilli oil) whisked with a ladle of hot broth; fry 200 g pork mince with a little miso and add on top.

• Chicken Shio Ramen (Light & Clear): Use only chicken stock; season with 2 tsp fine salt, a pinch of sugar, and a splash of mirin instead of soy. Top with sliced poached chicken and lots of spring onion.

• Mushroom-Miso Vegan Bowl: Use kombu–shiitake broth; skip pork and eggs. Whisk in white miso for tare, add sautéed mushrooms and tofu, finish with sesame oil and greens.