This recipe starts with regular chicken stock and becomes a simple yet satisfying ramen bowl for when I want to enjoy the dish at home. As always, homemade chicken stock is the best to use, due to its taste and body, but you can definitely use a store-bought stock here. The roasted aromatics, miso paste, kombu, and fish sauce add layers of umami-packed flavor. It’s a broth that’s great sipped on its own, but you can add any number of items, including Soy-Marinated Eggs, to make a satisfying meal.
2 tablespoons white miso paste
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil or other high-heat neutral oilÂ
1 (3-inch) piece fresh ginger, unpeeled
1 large onion, unpeeled, quartered
8 scallions, cut into 4-inch-long pieces
1 (3 x 4-inch) piece kombuÂ
3 quarts chicken stock, homemade or store-bought
2 or 3 dried bird’s eye chiles
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon mirin, plus more for seasoning
This is by no means an authentic ramen recipe. Traditional ramen broth, such as tonkotsu, my favorite style, can take upward of 24 hours to make. The long, intensive process involves a huge amount of various pork bones and copious chopped pork fat. I’d rather leave that one to the professionals and enjoy it in ignorant bliss!
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso paste, oil, and a splash of hot water until smooth. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the miso mixture with the ginger, onion, and scallions. Roast until the vegetables are slightly charred and oozing, 45 to 60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, rinse the kombu under running water. Put it in a bowl, cover it with water, and let it soak while you bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the drained kombu to the gently simmering stock, partially cover the pot, and cook to infuse the stock with the flavor of the kombu, 30 minutes. Discard the kombu and remove the pot from the heat.
4. When the vegetables are roasted, add them to the chicken stock along with the dried chiles, star anise, and dried mushrooms. Set the saucepan over high heat, bring the broth to a gentle simmer, and reduce the heat to medium low. Partially cover the pot and allow the ingredients to infuse the broth for 1 hour. You want the broth to barely simmer.
5. Strain the broth and discard the solids. Add the fish sauce and mirin. Taste and season with more fish sauce and/or mirin as desired. Use immediately or let cool completely and store for later use. The ramen broth will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.Â
HOW TO BUILD YOUR RAMEN BOWL
Here are some of my favorite additions to mix and match for a filling meal.
Fresh or dried Chinese egg noodles, cooked
Leftover meat, thinly sliced
Chard greens, lightly steamed
Once you have all your ingredients ready to go, building a ramen bowl couldn’t be simpler. If you have a ramen bowl, that’s great. Otherwise use the largest, deepest soup bowl you have.· The proportions of your ramen fillings are totally up to you, but I aim for about 1 cup noodles; 1 soy-marinated egg, halved; ¼ cup leftover meat; and 1 to 2 cups vegetables.· Place your cooked noodles in a mound in the center of your bowl. Place the vegetables on one side of the noodle mound, the meat nestled next to the vegetables, and the soy-marinated egg halves next to the veggies. Top the ingredients with 2 cups or more of hot ramen broth.· If you like spice, as I do, I sprinkle some shichimi togarashi (Japanese 7-spice blend) on top just before serving. Serve immediately.
