Japanese-Style Tantanmen (Sesame-Miso Soy Milk Ramen)

Method

1. Put the oil, garlic, ginger and chili bean paste in a 20 cm pan and fry over medium heat for 1 min until the oil turns red and smells fragrant. Add the pork and break it up finely, frying for 4 min until crumbly and cooked. Stir in the sake, the white miso for the pork and the sugar, and cook until almost no liquid is left. This is your spicy pork miso.

   Add in this stepCooking oil 2 tspMinced garlic 1 tspGrated ginger 1 tspChili bean paste (doubanjiang) 1 tspGround pork 120 gCooking sake 2 tspWhite miso (for the pork) 1 tspSugar 1 tsp

   medium heat

2. Fill a 22 cm pot with the noodle water, cover and bring to a boil over high heat (about 10 min). Blanch the halved bok choy and the bean sprouts for 1 min, then lift out; keep the water for the noodles. Ladle some hot water into each serving bowl to warm it.

   Add in this stepWater for the noodles 2 LBaby bok choy 2Bean sprouts 80 g

   high heat

3. In a 18 cm soup pot, whisk the sesame paste, the white miso for the broth and the soy sauce with a splash of stock until smooth, then add the rest of the stock. Heat over medium heat for 4 min until it just bubbles at the edge, pour in the soy milk, lower to medium-low heat and heat for 2 min. You want it steaming with tiny bubbles at the edge. Do not boil, or the soy milk will curdle.

   Add in this stepSesame paste (Japanese nerigoma or tahini) 3 tbspWhite miso (for the broth) 4 tspSoy sauce 2 tspChicken stock 400 mlUnsweetened soy milk 300 ml

   medium heat→medium-low heat

4. Add the noodles to the boiling water, loosen with chopsticks and cook over high heat for 3 min. Drain and shake well.

   Add in this stepFresh ramen noodles 260 g

   high heat

5. Empty the warmed bowls, add the noodles and pour over the broth. Top with the pork miso, bok choy and bean sprouts, scatter with scallions and drizzle with chili oil. Serve right away; stirring the pork into the broth makes it spicier as you eat.

   Add in this stepScallions 1Chili oil (rayu) 2 tsp