Ramen
A ramen with a real broth: stock simmered with ginger, garlic, and shiitake, seasoned in the bowl.
Servings: 2 servings
Equipment
- Medium Pot
- 2n pot for noodles
- fine mesh strainer
Ingredients
Broth
- 4 cloves garlic smashed
- 1 inch piece fresh ginger sliced
- 4 scallions whites for the broth, greens sliced for garnish
- 4 dried shitake mushrooms
- 5 cups low-sodium chicken stock or vegetable stock
For the Bowls
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon mirin
- 6 - 8 ounces fresh ramen noodles or 2 blocks of dried ramen noodles (discard the seasoning packet)
- 2 eggs
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
Build the Aromatics
- Heat the sesame oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and scallion whites and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.
Simmer the Broth
- Add the stock and shiitake. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook uncovered for about 40 minutes, until the broth has reduced to roughly 4 cups.
Keep it at a gentle simmer. A hard boil clouds the broth and cooks off flavor.
Strain
- Strain the broth, discarding the garlic, ginger and scallion whites.
- Slice the shiitake caps, discard the stems, and set the caps aside to use as a topping. Return the broth to the pot and keep it hot. Don't season it yet
Cook the Eggs
- Boil the eggs for 6½ minutes, then move them to ice water. Peel and halve. For more on this, see how to soft-boil eggs.
Cook the Noodles
- In a separate pot of boiling water, cook the noodles according to the package, pulling them a little early since they keep cooking in the broth. Drain.
Season the Bowls
- Put half the soy sauce and half the mirin in the bottom of each bowl. Ladle in about 2 cups of hot broth, stir, and taste.
- Add salt and pepper if it needs it.
This is where you control the salt. Add more soy sauce a teaspoon at a time.
Assemble
- Divide the noodles between the bowls. Top with the egg, shiitake, scallion greens and any other toppings.