We have tasted countless versions of ramen soup in Japan and settled on this Spicy Miso Ramen recipe, which is our favourite by far. It’s a perfect example of cultural influences and creativity that define Japanese cuisine. The recipe has over 30 ingredients, some of which were inherited from neighbouring countries (China and Korea). We will start with preparing the broth and flavoured oil, continue with the spicy miso tare, and finish with assembling the final dish with chicken, noodles and toppings. The result will be a comforting and flavourful bowl of ramen, topped with marinated eggs, making it an ideal main course.

Ingredients for 10 servings:

For the broth:

• 2 chickens
• 2 garlic bulbs, halved
• 2 medium-sized onions, peeled and cut into pieces
• 6-8 thick slices of ginger
• 2-3 medium-sized carrots
• 8 green onions
• 10 dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 kombu sheet (10 x 10 cm)
• 4 litres water
• 2 chicken stock cubes (optional)
• 1 teaspoon dashi powder (optional)
• 1 cup sake

For the flavoured oil:

• 1 cup delicate-tasting extra virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil
• 6 thin slices of ginger
• 4 cloves of crushed garlic
• 3 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) or regular red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons katsuobushi (dried and smoked bonito flakes) or 1 teaspoon dashi powder

For the spicy taré:

• 2/3 cup yellow miso
• 3-4 tablespoons toban djan (chili bean paste)
• 1 cup sake
• 1 cup mirin

For chicken seasoning, noodles, and toppings:

• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• Fresh, frozen, dry, or instant ramen noodles
• Chopped green onions
• Ramen eggs
• Kimchi (optional)
• Nori sheets
• Sesame seeds

Instructions for Spicy Miso Ramen Soup:

1. Prepare the broth:
   • Separate chicken meat from the bones, remove skin and fat to prevent the broth from becoming too fatty.
   • In a large pot, bring the chicken meat, carcasses and bones to a boil.
   • After 2-3 minutes, rinse both the chicken and the pan, and remove the chicken meat from the pan.
   • Pour 4 litres of cold water in the pan with the bones and carcasses, and bring to a boil again. 
   • Use a fine mesh skimming utensil to remove any foaming fat. Repeat until the broth is clear. Dunk the mesh skimmer in a bowl of water to remove fat residue.
   • Add garlic, onion, ginger, carrots, green onions, dried shiitake mushrooms, and chicken stock cubes.
   • Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30-40 minutes.
   • Add the chicken meat and sake to the pot.
   • Cover and simmer for 30 more minutes.
   • Add the kombu sheet to the broth, turn off the heat and let the ramen broth cool down. 
2. Prepare flavoured oil:
   • In a separate saucepan, combine chopped garlic, ginger, gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes) and katsuobushi (or dashi powder).
   • Infuse the ingredients over low heat for 8-10 minutes.
   • Remove the pan from the stove and let it cool.
   • Drain the flavoured oil into a separate bowl and set aside. Save leftovers.
3. Make spicy miso tare:
   • In another saucepan, whisk together miso, mirin, toban djan, sake, minced garlic, and minced ginger until smooth.
   • Bring the mixture to a boil and let it infuse over medium heat for 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Finish the broth:
   • Remove the chicken and shiitake mushrooms from the broth.
   • Strain the stock for a clean and umami-rich ramen broth.
5. Combine flavoured oil with chicken and shiitake:
   • Squeeze the shiitake mushrooms to remove excess moisture and slice them.
   • Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
   • Mix the leftovers from the flavoured oil into the chicken and shiitake.
   • Add 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 tablespoons of sugar to the chicken mixture. Set aside.
6. Cook ramen noodles:
   • Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the ramen noodles according to the package instructions.
   • Drain properly and set aside.
7. Heat up the ramen broth:
   • Bring the ramen broth to a boil.
8. Layer the ingredients in serving bowls:
   • 3-4 tablespoons of spicy miso taré (adjust to your preference)
   • 1 tablespoon of flavoured oil
   • 2 cups of boiling broth
   • Cooked ramen noodles
   • Arrange on top the chicken mixture, kimchi (optional), ramen eggs, mushrooms, chopped green onion, and nori (please, keep nori dry).
   • Optionally, sprinkle with sesame seeds and micro greens.
9. Serve the soup hot:
   • Enjoy your steaming bowl of spicy miso ramen immediately! Bon appétit!

Instructions for marinating Ramen Eggs (2-3 days before preparing the soup):

1. Bring water to a boil in a pot over high heat. Carefully place 6 cold eggs (from the fridge) in the pan using a spoon.
2. Cook the eggs for 6 to 7 minutes, depending on the size – 6 minutes for small eggs, 7 minutes for the medium-sized ones.
3. Stir the eggs for the first couple of minutes, so that the egg yolk will be right in the middle of the egg. Remove the eggs from the pan, place in an ice water bath to prevent further cooking, let them cool down, and carefully peel their shells. 
4. Prepare the sauce: combine 1 cup of water, ¼ cup of soy sauce, ¼ cup of mirin, and 1 teaspoon of dashi powder in a pan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the flavours meld well and the alcohol from the mirin evaporates. Chill the sauce.
5. Place the peeled soft-boiled eggs in a container. Pour the cold sauce over the eggs, ensuring they are fully submerged. The sauce will infuse the eggs with umami flavour.
6. Refrigerate the eggs for at least 24 hours. For optimal results, marinate them for 2 to 3 days. The longer they soak, the more flavorful they become. Enjoy!

These marinated eggs, also known as Ajitsuke Tamago, are not only perfect in a ramen soup but also make a delightful side dish or appetiser. They will keep well in the fridge for 5 to 7 days.