Homemade Shoyu Ramen
Shoyu ramen relies on a clear, savory chicken and dashi broth seasoned with a concentrated soy tare. You build the bowl by layering the tare, hot broth, alkaline noodles, and marinated soft-boiled eggs, finishing with slices of braised pork belly and fresh scallions.
Patience is your primary ingredient
The broth requires a long, gentle simmer to extract flavor without clouding. Prepare your components ahead of time so the final assembly happens while the broth is piping hot.
- large stockpot
- fine-mesh strainer
- cheesecloth
- small saucepan
- ladle
What goes in.
- 3 lbchicken carcasses and wings
- 4 cupskombu dashi
- 1/2 cupdark soy sauce
- 2 tbspmirin
- 4 portionsfresh alkaline ramen noodles
- 8 ozbraised pork belly (chashu), sliced
- 4soft-boiled eggs, marinated
- 1/4 cupscallions, thinly sliced on the bias
Mastering the Seasoning Base
The tare provides the salt and depth. Combine soy sauce, mirin, and aromatics in a small saucepan, heating just until the alcohol evaporates and the salt integrates, preventing it from overpowering the broth.
The method.
Prepare the broth
Blanch the chicken in boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain and rinse clean. Return to a clean pot with 3 quarts of water, simmering uncovered for 3 hours. Keep it at a gentle bubble—if it boils hard, the broth turns cloudy.
Strain
Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Discard the solids and combine the clear chicken liquid with the kombu dashi.
Prepare the tare
Simmer soy sauce and mirin together for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
Cook noodles
Boil noodles according to package timing—usually 60 to 90 seconds. Drain vigorously; any excess water ruins the broth intensity.
Assemble
Place 2 tablespoons of tare in the bottom of each bowl. Add 1.5 cups of boiling broth and whisk slightly. Add noodles, arrange pork and egg on top, and finish with scallions.
Other turns to take.
Spicy Shoyu
Whisk a teaspoon of chili oil or garlic-infused chili paste into the tare before adding the broth.
Vegetarian
Replace chicken broth with a robust shiitake mushroom and kombu steep, using extra miso in the tare for body.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Keep your serving bowls warm in the oven at a low setting before assembly.
Do not overcook the noodles; they continue to soften in the hot broth.
If the broth looks greasy, skim the surface fat using a folded paper towel before serving.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use store-bought stock?
It lacks the gelatinous mouthfeel of homemade chicken stock, which is necessary to carry the tare's saltiness. If you must use store-bought, choose low-sodium and fortify it with extra kombu.
Why do my noodles turn out mushy?
You likely left them in the boiling water too long or allowed them to sit in the strainer while you prepared toppings. Noodles must go directly from water to bowl.
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