Tokyo-Style Clear Chicken Shoyu Ramen

Method

1. Rinse the wings in cold water. Bring water to a boil in a 24 cm pot, add the wings and blanch over high heat for 3 min, until grey foam rises, then drain. Rinse each wing under running water to remove blood and scum, and wash the pot. This is the first step to a clear stock.

   Add in this stepChicken wings (or a mix of chicken backs and wings) 900 g

   high heat

2. Return the wings to the pot with the measured stock water and heat over high heat until it boils, about 15 min, skimming off the foam as it rises. Turn down to low heat so only a few bubbles break the surface and simmer uncovered for 2 h. Hard boiling makes the stock cloudy. If the water drops below the wings, top up with hot water.

   Add in this stepWater for the stock 2.3 L

   high heat→low heat

3. Add the niboshi (heads and black innards removed), kombu, shiitake, ginger, crushed garlic and green onion tops and simmer for 30 min more over low heat. Strain through a sieve lined with kitchen paper, let it stand for 5 minutes, then ladle the clear yellow chicken fat off the surface into a cup.

   Add in this stepDried anchovies for stock (niboshi) 10 gKombu (10 cm square) 1Dried shiitake mushrooms 2Ginger, thinly sliced 15 gGarlic cloves, crushed 3Green tops of a large green onion (or leek) 1

   low heat

4. While the stock simmers, make the chashu. Roll the pork belly up tightly lengthwise and tie it with kitchen string every 2 cm. In a 18 cm pot that just fits the roll, brown it over medium-high heat for 8 min, turning, until golden all over, then pour off the fat. Add the chashu soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar and water, bring to a boil, turn down to low heat, cover with a piece of foil laid directly on the liquid and simmer for 1 h 30 min, turning every 20 minutes. It is ready when a skewer slides in with no resistance.

   Add in this stepSkinless pork belly, in one piece 400 gSoy sauce (for the chashu) 4 tbspMirin (for the chashu) 3 tbspSake (for the chashu) 3 tbspSugar 1 tbspWater (for the chashu) 300 ml

   medium-high heat→low heat

5. Bring water to a boil in a 16 cm pot over high heat, lower in the cold eggs, turn down to medium heat and cook for exactly 6 min 30 sec. Cool in ice water and peel. Mix 100 ml of the chashu liquid with 2 tbsp water and put it in a zip-lock bag with the eggs. Let the chashu cool in the rest of its liquid, then refrigerate both overnight (8 hours).

   Add in this stepEggs, straight from the fridge 2

   high heat→medium heat

6. Tare: warm the tare soy sauce, mirin and sake in a small pan over low heat for 3 min, just until steaming, without boiling. Turn off the heat, add the bonito flakes, steep for 10 minutes and strain, pressing hard. Aroma oil: in another small pan, heat the chicken fat, the fat skimmed from the stock and the spring onions over low heat for 6 min, until the onions turn golden and smell toasty, then strain.

   Add in this stepSoy sauce (for the tare) 4½ tbspMirin (for the tare) 1½ tbspSake (for the tare) 1½ tbspBonito flakes (katsuobushi) 5 gChicken fat (plus what you skim from the stock) 2 tbspSpring onions, sliced (for the oil) 15 g

   low heat

7. Remove the string and cut the chashu into 7 mm slices (2 per bowl; the rest keeps 4 days in the fridge). Heat a dry 20 cm frying pan over medium-high heat and sear the slices for 1 min per side until the edges caramelise. Halve the eggs with a wet knife.

   medium-high heat

8. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat (about 11 min) and heat the stock until just below boiling. Put 2 tbsp tare and 1 tbsp aroma oil in each hot bowl, pour in 350 ml stock and stir. Cook the noodles for 1 min 30 sec, in 1 batch(es), shake them very dry and lift them into the soup with chopsticks, folding them neatly. Top with chashu, egg, menma, shredded white onion and nori, and serve with white pepper.

   Add in this stepThin, straight fresh ramen noodles 260 gSeasoned bamboo shoots (menma) 40 gWhite part of a large green onion, finely shredded ½Half sheets of toasted nori 2White pepper to taste

   high heat