Japanese cuisine · Soups & Stews

Tonkotsu Ramen

Hakata-style ramen in a milky, creamy chicken bone broth simmered for hours, with thin straight noodles, nori and spring onions.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 kg chicken bones and wings
• 1 leek
• 1 piece ginger (5 cm)
• 1 head of garlic
• 400 g boneless chicken thigh
• 100 ml soy sauce
• 4 tbsp mirin
• 4 tbsp sake
• 400 g ramen noodles
• 4 eggs
• 2 sheets nori
• 4 spring onions, salt

Instructions

1. Boil the chicken bones and wings in bubbling water for 10 min., rinse in cold water and wash off all blood residue — this is the only way the broth turns out clean white later.
2. Set the bones on with 4 l fresh water, the roughly chopped leek, the ginger and the crosswise-halved garlic head, and boil at a vigorous rolling boil for 4 hours until the broth is milky and creamy; keep topping up evaporated water.
3. For the seasoning, bring soy sauce, mirin and sake to a boil, let the chicken thigh simmer gently in it for 25 min., then remove and slice thinly.
4. Boil the eggs for 6.5 min., shock immediately in ice water, peel and marinate overnight or at least 2 hours in the cooled soy marinade; halve the eggs.
5. Pour the broth through a fine sieve, season generously with salt and adjust with 4 tbsp of the soy marinade, then cook the ramen noodles in plenty of water 1 min. shorter than the package instructions, until very al dente.
6. Drain the noodles, distribute into warmed bowls, fill up with the hot broth and top with meat slices, halved egg, spring onion rings and half a sheet of nori each.