Shoyu Ramen

Ingredients

• 8 cups chicken stock
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 scallion whites, plus scallion greens sliced, for garnish
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 thumb fresh ginger, sliced
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 (4-inch) piece kombu
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon sake
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup soy sauce, for the egg marinade
• 1/4 cup mirin, for the egg marinade
• 1/4 cup water, for the egg marinade
• 400g pork belly, for chashu
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, for the chashu braise
• 2 tablespoons sugar, for the chashu braise
• 2 tablespoons mirin, for the chashu braise
• 1 cup water, for the chashu braise
• 900g fresh ramen noodles
• 1 sheet nori, cut into 4 strips
• Chili oil, for serving

Before you cook

• Halve the onion and slice the garlic and ginger.
• Combine the pork belly with the chashu braise ingredients (2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons mirin, 1 cup water) in a small pot.
• Bring the egg marinade ingredients (1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup mirin, 1/4 cup water) to a simmer, then let it cool.

Steps

1. Combine the chicken stock, onion, scallion whites, garlic, ginger, shiitake and kombu in a large pot.
2. Bring to a bare simmer over medium-low heat, never letting it reach a rolling boil.
3. Skim any foam from the surface every few minutes for the first hour.
4. Simmer gently for 3 hours, topping up with water if it reduces too much.
5. Strain the broth through a fine sieve and discard the solids.
6. Bring the chashu braising liquid to a simmer, cover, and cook the pork belly on low for 1.5 hours until tender.
7. Cool the chashu in its liquid, then slice thinly.
8. Combine the tare ingredients (1/2 cup soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar) in a small pot and bring to a brief simmer.
9. Cool the tare and set it aside.
10. Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and lower in the eggs.
11. Boil the eggs for 7 minutes, then transfer them to an ice bath.
12. Peel the eggs and soak them in the cooled egg marinade for at least 2 hours.
13. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil for the noodles.
14. Spoon 2 tablespoons of tare into the bottom of each serving bowl.
15. Ladle 2 cups of hot broth into each bowl and stir to combine with the tare.
16. Cook the fresh ramen noodles in the boiling water for 90 seconds until just tender.
17. Drain the noodles well without rinsing and add them to the bowls.
18. Halve the marinated eggs and arrange them on top with the sliced chashu, nori and scallion greens.
19. Serve immediately with chili oil on the side.