Homemade Shoyu Ramen

Method

1. Bring plenty of water to a boil in a 16 cm pot over high heat. Lower the eggs in straight from the fridge on a ladle, turn down to medium heat so the water bubbles gently and cook for exactly 6 min 30 sec. Plunge them into ice water for 5 minutes, then peel them under the water. The yolks will be soft and jammy.

   Add in this stepEggs, straight from the fridge 2

   high heat→medium heat

2. Cut the pork belly into slabs 2 cm thick. Heat the oil in a 20 cm frying pan that has a lid and brown the pork over medium-high heat for 5 min, turning, until golden on every side. Wipe out the melted fat with kitchen paper.

   Add in this stepPork belly, in one piece 250 gCooking oil 1 tsp

   medium-high heat

3. Add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, water and the ginger for the pork. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn down to medium-low heat. Set the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 35 min, turning the pork every 10 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another 4 min, spooning the liquid over, until it is slightly syrupy and a chopstick slides easily into the pork. If it looks dry at any point, add water 2 tbsp at a time.

   Add in this stepSoy sauce 6 tbspMirin 3 tbspSake 3 tbspSugar 1½ tspWater (for the pork) 180 mlGinger for the pork, thinly sliced 5 g

   medium-high heat→medium-low heat

4. Turn off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Put the peeled eggs in a small zip-lock bag, pour in about a third of the braising liquid, squeeze out the air and leave for at least 30 minutes (longer in the fridge gives a darker, richer egg). Leave the pork sitting in the rest of the liquid: this is your ramen tare.

5. Put the stock, kombu, dried shiitake, broth ginger, crushed garlic and green onion tops in a 18 cm pot and heat over medium-low heat for 20 min. Keep it at a bare simmer with only small bubbles, and lift out the kombu as soon as it starts to bubble, because boiled kombu turns slimy and bitter. Take the pot off the heat, add the bonito flakes, steep for 3 min, then strain through a sieve into another pot.

   Add in this stepChicken stock (unsalted or low-sodium) 900 mlKombu (5 cm square) 1Dried shiitake mushrooms 2Ginger for the broth, thinly sliced 10 gGarlic cloves, crushed 2Green tops of a large green onion (or leek) 1Bonito flakes (katsuobushi) 5 g

   medium-low heat

6. Bring 3 L of water to a boil in your largest pot over high heat; it takes about 11 min. Blanch the spinach in it for 30 sec, cool it in cold water, squeeze it dry and cut into 4 cm lengths. While you wait, slice the pork 5 mm thick, halve the eggs, finely slice the spring onions and fill the bowls with hot water to warm them.

   Add in this stepSpinach 60 g

   high heat

7. Bring the strained broth back to a full boil. Empty the bowls and put 2 tbsp of the pork braising liquid in each. Shake the noodles loose and cook them over high heat for 2 min (or as the packet says), in 1 batch(es), stirring once so they do not stick. Meanwhile pour 350 ml of boiling broth into each bowl and stir into the tare. Drain the noodles, shaking the sieve hard, slide them into the broth and fold them neatly. Top with pork, egg, spinach, spring onion and nori, and add white pepper at the table.

   Add in this stepFresh ramen noodles 260 gSpring onions 20 gHalf sheets of toasted nori 2White pepper to taste

   high heat