Where Shoyu Ramen Comes From
Ramen came to Japan from China in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when noodle shops in port cities such as Yokohama served wheat noodles in broth to workers and students. Over the following decades Japanese cooks made the dish their own, and today every region has its own style. Tokyo is closely linked with shoyu ramen, a clear, savoury soup seasoned with soy sauce.
A bowl of ramen has several separate parts, and getting each one right is what makes the final result so satisfying. There is the broth, the tare (a concentrated seasoning that goes in the bottom of the bowl), the aromatic oil, the noodles and the toppings. This home version simplifies things without losing what makes ramen special. Make the broth and eggs a day ahead, and putting the bowls together takes only minutes.
Serves: 4 | Prep: 30 minutes, plus overnight marinating | Cook: 3 hours
Ingredients
Broth
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) chicken wings or backs
- 500 g (1.1 lb) pork neck bones or trotters
- 1 onion, halved
- 5 cm (2 in) piece of ginger, sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 spring onions (white parts)
- 1 piece of kombu, about 10 cm (4 in)
- 4 litres (about 4 quarts) cold water
Shoyu tare
- 120 ml (½ cup) Japanese soy sauce
- 60 ml (¼ cup) mirin
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) sake
- 1 tsp sugar
Ramen eggs
- 4 eggs
- 60 ml (¼ cup) soy sauce, 60 ml (¼ cup) mirin and 120 ml (½ cup) water for the marinade
To finish
- 4 portions fresh ramen noodles, about 520 g (18 oz)
- 200 g (7 oz) roast pork belly or chashu, sliced
- Sliced spring onion greens, nori sheets, bamboo shoots (menma)
- 2 tbsp chicken fat or neutral oil warmed with 1 crushed garlic clove
Method
- Put the chicken and pork bones in a large pot, cover with water, bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse the bones under cold water and scrub the pot. This step gives you a cleaner, clearer broth.
- Return the bones to the pot with 4 litres of fresh cold water. Bring to a bare simmer and skim off any foam. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and spring onion whites, and simmer gently, uncovered, for 2½–3 hours.
- Add the kombu for the final 20 minutes, then strain the broth. You should have about 2 litres (8 cups). Season lightly with salt only; most of the seasoning will come from the tare.
- For the eggs, lower them into boiling water and cook for 6½ minutes, then plunge them into iced water. Peel, place in a container or bag with the marinade, and refrigerate for 6–24 hours.
- Make the tare by simmering the soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar together for 2 minutes. Let it cool.
- To serve, warm the bowls with hot water. Put 2–3 tablespoons of tare and 1 teaspoon of garlic fat into each bowl, then pour in about 450 ml (2 cups) of very hot broth and stir.
- Cook the noodles according to the packet, usually 1–2 minutes. Drain them very well, slide them into the broth, and lift and fold them so they lie neatly.
- Top with pork slices, a halved egg, bamboo shoots, spring onion greens and a sheet of nori. Serve straight away.
Tips for Success
- Never let the broth boil hard. A gentle simmer keeps it clear, while a rolling boil makes it cloudy.
- Taste the broth and tare together in a cup before serving and adjust the ratio to your liking. Shoyu ramen should be savoury but not harsh.
- Shake the noodles well after draining. Excess water dilutes the soup.
- Freeze leftover broth in portions for quick weeknight bowls.
Variations
For a lighter version, make an all-chicken broth. For more depth, add a handful of dried shiitake mushrooms with the kombu. Vegetarians can make a broth from kombu, shiitake, charred onion and leek, and top it with fried tofu and blanched greens.
If you like heat, add a spoonful of chilli oil or rayu at the end. You can turn the same broth into miso ramen by whisking a spoonful of white or red miso into the tare.
How to Serve
Ramen is a meal in itself, but in Japan it is often served alongside gyoza or a small bowl of rice. Put pickled ginger, sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi on the table so everyone can add their own finishing touches.
Eat it quickly while the noodles are still springy. Slurping is perfectly acceptable, as it cools the noodles and helps you taste the broth.
