Ramen (Japan)
Ramen is a true Japanese classic, and it goes way beyond those $1 instant packets. True Japanese ramen combines rich, savory flavors that are slurped up with those chewy noodles, and bring a sense of delight with every spoonful.
Today on World of Pasta, I’m going to be sharing with you a great recipe for ramen that doesn’t take all day to make, in fact, much like the pho I made a while back, it is a dish that can be on the dinner table in about an hour.
Now, there’s about a thousand delicious things that you can put on top of ramen, but I’m opting for some soy grilled chicken, corn, soft boiled egg, pickled ginger, and some nice crunchy veggies, but feel free to top your ramen however you please.
Makes 4 servings, plus extra broth
For the Soy Grilled Chicken:
8 large boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts
4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (use tamari if you’re gluten free)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp honey
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil, for the grill
For the Broth:
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
4 cups water
1 bunch of green onions, separated into whites and greens (keep the whites whole but thinly slice the greens for garnish)
4 large garlic cloves, cut in half
A 4-inch piece of ginger, cut in half lengthwise
1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms (Or 8 ounces fresh)
4 tbsp soy sauce, plus more if needed
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar, plus more if needed
1-2 tbsp sriracha (opt)
For Serving:
2 husked ears of corn on the cob
Salt and pepper
4 servings of fresh or dried ramen noodles
4 eggs, soft boiled*
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1/4 head of napa or savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
Thinly sliced pickled ginger
Sesame oil
*To make perfect soft boiled eggs, simply lower your eggs into a pot of boiling water and set the timer for 8 minutes. Once done, immediately take out of the water and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Let them cool and then you can peel them.
Place the chicken into a large sealable bag. Combine all of the other ingredients except for the vegetable oil in a small bowl, taste and adjust, then pour onto the chicken. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat the grill to medium high.
To make the broth, heat the chicken broth and water in a large saucepan or stock pot to a boil. Add the green onion whites, garlic, ginger and mushrooms. Reduce to a simmer then let everything go for about 30 minutes to let the flavors develop.
Scrub off any bits stuck to the grill and grease with vegetable oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess, then place onto the hottest part of the grill. Rub the corn with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then place those onto the grill as well. Let the chicken and corn cook together, turning and flipping when necessary, until the chicken is cooked through and the corn is charred.
(If you’re using dried ramen noodles, you’ll want to boil them for about 3 minutes. You can do this while the chicken is resting)
Once the chicken and corn are done, strain the broth into another pot, pressing down on the solids to extract all of the flavor, then season the broth with soy, rice vinegar and sriracha (if using).
(The recipe amount I gave you is what worked for me, but you may need to adjust with more soy and/or vinegar to satisfy your own palate)
Add the noodles to the broth and let them go for about a minute or two to heat up. Slice the chicken and cut the corn kernels off the cob, then you’re ready to serve.
Simply divide the noodles and broth among large serving bowls, then in sections, top with the chicken, corn, egg, carrot, cabbage, ginger, green onion greens, and finally a drizzle of sesame oil.
