Ramen broth

 Ramen Broth

1-1.2kg/2.2-2.6lb chicken carcasses (about 3 carcasses in total)
1kg/2.2lb pork soup bones (note 1)
1 onion , peeled
3 green onions green part only
3cm/1¼” cube ginger , cut in half
2 cloves garlic
10g/0.4oz bonito flakes in a spice bag (note 2)

Shōyu Ramen Broth

• 2 tbsp konbu soy sauce (note 3)
• 1½ tsp mirin
• salt to adjust flavour
• 300-400ml/10-13.5oz Ramen Broth in this recipe , boiling hot
  
  

Shōyu Ramen Noodles and Toppings (note7)

• 80-100g/2.8-3.5oz fresh thin egg noodles (note 4)
• 2-3 slices Yakibuta (Braised Pork)
• 1 Ramen Egg (Ajitsuke Tamago) , halved
• 2 tbsp shiraga negi finely julienned green onion, curled in iced water
• 1 10cm²/4"² yakinori (roasted seaweed sheet)
  
  
  
  

Instructions

Ramen Broth (see note 8 & 9 to make Ramen Broth using slow cooker/pressure cooker)

1. Bring 4L/8.5pt of water in a pot to a boil. Add chicken and pork bones and boil for 10 minutes. A lot of scum will surface.
   
   
   
   

2. Drain and wash the bones under running cold water one by one, removing coagulated blood, guts along the spine of the chicken and other brown dirty bits.

3. Add the cleaned bones and the rest of the Ramen Broth ingredients, excluding bonito flakes, to a large pot with 4L/8.5pt water, and bring it to a boil.

4. When scum surfaces, occasionally scoop it off gently using a ladle (note 5). Do not mix the broth with the ladle when removing the scum as it will cause the broth to become cloudy.

5. After removing the scum 4-5 times, turn down the heat to simmer gently.

6. While simmering, remove scum a few more times in the beginning if required.

7. Simmer for 2 hours with a lid on but allowing for slight ventilation. Then add a bag of bonito flakes. Simmer for a couple of minutes.

8. Turn the heat off. Put the broth through a sieve and collect only the liquid.

9. Makes about 1.6L / 3.4pt of soup (note 6).
   
   
   
   

Making Shōyu Ramen (note 7)

1. Put konbu soy sauce and mirin in a serving bowl. 

2. Boil water in a saucepan, and cook noodles and drain very well.

3. Add Ramen Broth to the bowl and mix. Taste test the soup and adjust with salt.

4. Add the noodles. Place sliced Yakibuta, Ramen Eggs, and shraga negi on top and slide a yaki nori on the side of the bowl. Serve immediately. 

Recipe Notes

1. My soup bones were back bones chopped into small pieces. If you have pork leg bones, that’s fine too. Ask the butcher to chop them in half.

2. Spice bags are usually made with muslin. If you have a piece of muslin, you can wrap bonito flakes in the muslin and tie the edges to make a bag just like bouquet garnis.

At Japanese grocery stores, you can also buy a pack of disposable dashi stock bags in which you can stuff bonito flakes and seal (see the photo below).

Alternatively, you can use a store-bought granular bonito dashi pack as long as it does not contain anything other than bonito flakes.

3. How to make konbu soy sauce (4 servings):
Cut 10cm x 5cm/ 4” x 2” konbu into about a dozen small pieces.
Add the konbu pieces and 120ml/4.1oz soy sauce in a jar.
Leave it in the fridge overnight up to 1 week.

If you don't have konbu, just use the same amount of soy sauce.

You can use konbu soy sauce in place of pouring soy sauce to the dishes, e.g. Chilled Tofu, Spinach Ohitashi Salad, Japanese Okura with Bonito Flakes.

4.  Time to cook noodles varies depending on the type of noodles. You may also change the duration if you prefer the noodles to be firmer or softer. Follow the instructions on the pack as a guideline.

5. Instead of a ladle, you can use a flat sieve with fine mesh like this.

6. Depending on the diameter of the pot and the temperature of the cooktop, the amount of the broth you get varies.

If the water evaporates too fast, add boiling water to increase the quantity. If too much soup stock is remaining, cook further to reduce the quantity.

7. The topping of shōyu ramen is based on my recipe, Easy Japanese Rame Noodles. You can of course change the toppings to your favourites.

8. Making Ramen Broth using a slow cooker:

• After step 2, add bones, vegetables, and water to a slow cooker. You may not be able to add 4L/8.5pt of water if the slow cooker is not large. Add as much as possible and ensure that bones are submerged in the water. You can place the pork bones inside the chicken carcass. Alternatively, break the chicken carcass into smaller pieces. 
• Set the slow cooker to low for 10 hours (preferred) or high for 6 hours. Because the broth is cooked slowly at low temperature, there should be hardly any scum.
• Put the broth through a sieve and collect only the liquid into a large pot.
• Simmer for 15 minutes or so to reduce the liquid to 1.6L/3.4pt. If there is not enough broth, add water to make it 1.6L/3.4pt.
•  Add a bag of bonito flakes to the pot and simmer for a couple of minutes, then remove the bonito flakes.
  
  
  
  

  9. Making Ramen Broth using a pressure cooker:

  • After step 2, add bones, vegetables, and water to a pressure cooker. You may not be able to add 4L/8.5pt of water if the pressure cooker is not large. I could add 3L/6.3pt.
  • Follow the steps 4 & 5, then put the lid on over high heat.
  • Pressure cook for 80 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave until the steam has naturally subsided.
  • Put the broth through a sieve and collect only the liquid into a pot.
  • If the liquid is more than 1.6L / 3.4pt, boil and reduce the quantity. If not enough broth, add water.
  •  Add a bag of bonito flakes to the pot and simmer for a couple of minutes, then remove the bonito flakes.

   

  10. Ramen Broth can keep for a week or so in the fridge as long as it is brought to a boil every day and quickly cooled down, then place it in the fridge. You can also freeze the broth. It is more convenient to divide the broth into a serving size and freeze.

Katsu curry

Katsu curry is just a variation of Japanese curry with a Chicken Cutlet on top. You can use a store-bought block of Japanese curry roux, which is commonly used in Japanese households. The Chicken Cutlet brings the Japanese curry up to the next level. It’s so delicious and filling.
 

Curry

• 400g / 0.9lb onion sliced into 1cm / ⅜” wide pieces
• 250g / 0.6lb potato cut into 1.5cm / ⅝” cubes
• 100g / 3.5oz carrot sliced to 7mm / ¼” thick pieces 
• 1 tbsp oil
• ½ packet of 230g / 0.5lb Japanese curry
• 800ml / 1.7pt water
• 4 cups cooked rice (hot)
• 4 Chicken Cutlets cut into 2.5cm / 1” wide strips (note 3)

Condiment (optional)

• 4 tbsp fukujinzuke

Instructions

1. Add oil to a pot and heat over medium high heat.

2. Add onion and sauté for a few minutes or until the onion becomes translucent and edges start getting slightly burnt.

3. Add potatoes and carrots into the pot and stir for a couple of minutes or until the surface of the vegetables starts getting cooked.

4. Add water and turn the heat up to bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for about 7 minutes or until the vegetables are nearly cooked through (note 4).

5. Break the curry roux cake into small blocks along the lines and add them into the pot. Stir gently to blend the curry roux.

6. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on and cook for about 10 minutes or until the curry roux is completely dissolved. Stir occasionally as the curry tends to stick to the bottom of the pot.

7. Check the consistency of the sauce. It should be like béchamel sauce. If it's too thick, adjust with some water. If too thin, cook further without the lid. It will thicken when cooled down as well.

8. Turn the heat off.

Serving

1. Place a cup of hot cooked rice onto one side of a plate. Place the chicken cutlet pieces next to the rice, leaning them on the rice so that there will be a space to pour the curry.

2. Pour curry next to the chicken cutlet, put fukujinzuke on the side and serve immediately.
   
   
   

   

   
   

   
   

   
   

Japanese Rice

 Mastering the basics of Japanese cooking are important, so let's start with the dietary staple of Japan. Perfectly prepared Japanese rice should be light, fluffy, and slightly sticky when cooked, and this recipe will have you making sublime rice every time.

Ingredients

300g japanese short grain rice
360ml water

How To Prepare

1. 1. Place the rice in a bowl. Add some water and gently wash the rice with your hands in a swirling motion. Discard the water and repeat this process several times until the water is clear.
2. 2. Soak the rice in clean water for 30 minutes. Then drain the rice completely using a sieve.
3. 3. Place the rice in a heavy-bottom saucepan and add 360ml of water. Bring the rice to the boil over medium heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for approximately 12 minutes. Keep the lid on until the rice is cooked.
4. 4. Turn the heat off and let the rice stand for 10 minutes to steam with the lid on.
5. 5. Using a wooden paddle, or spoon if not available, fluff the rice to help the excess moisture evaporate. Serve hot with your favourite Japanese dishes or by itself with rice seasoning if desired.

Gyoza

 Delicious Chinese dumplings that are prepared with flour dough and filled with a stuffing of pork, beef, shrimp or vegetables.

Ingredients

For the dough

• 1 lb flour
• 1 cup cold water (approximately)
• 2 pinches salt

For the stuffing

• A few rehydrated Chinese mushrooms (e.g. wood ears)
• A handful of fresh bean sprouts
• 1 carrot , shredded
• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger , grated
• ½ cup soy sauce
• 1 bunch cilantro

Instructions

Dough

• Mix the flour and salt. Add a little water and form homogeneous dough, not too soft. Do not add more water than necessary.
• Let the dough rest at least 45 minutes covered with a cloth in a dry place.
• Generously flour dough. Roll it in the pasta machine (ravioli position) and form very thin and wide strips that you will need to cut with a round cookie-cutter (ideally about 3-inch/8cm diameter).

Stuffing

• Slightly brown some green onions in a little oil and then add the stuffing ingredients in the order indicated above. Cook at high temperature just enough time to reduce the liquid, stirring constantly.
• Stuff raviolis (stuffing must be cold) and place them on a floured surface.
• To close the raviolis, you can use some cornstarch diluted in water.
• Place a little less than a tablespoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in two to form a semi-circle and pinch it at half point at the top.
• Pinch the wrapper over twice on each side of the initial middle pinch by folding about ¼ inch (5mm) of the wrapper. You will end up with 5 pinches therefore forming a fan-shaped dumpling.
• Three cooking modes are possible:-Steamed (zhēngjiao)- Boiled (shuijiao)- Fried (guotiē)
• You can choose to consume the jiaozi by themselves or in a broth of meat or chicken.

Dandan Noodles

Ingredients

For the chili oil

• 3 tablespoons of Szechuan pepper
• 1 stick Chinese cinnamon
• 2 anise stars
• 1 cup peanut oil
• 3 tablespoons red hot pepper flakes

For the meat and the sui mi ya cai

• 3 teaspoons soybean oil
• 8 oz. ground pork
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon black soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• 1 oz. sui mi ya cai , canned mustard leaves

For the sauce

• 2 tablespoons sesame paste
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
• ½ teaspoon Szechuan pepper powder
• ½ cup prepared chilli oil
• 3 cloves garlic , very thinly sliced
• ½ cup hot cooking water , for the noodles

For the noodles and vegetables

• 16 oz. white Chinese noodles , fresh or dried
• 1 small bunch leafy vegetables , spinach, bok choy or choy sum
• 3 oz. crushed peanuts
• 2 scallions , cut into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces

Equipment

• Wok
• Skimmer

Instructions

Chili oil

• In a small saucepan, add the Szechuan peppercorns, Chinese cinnamon stick, star anise and oil.
• Over low to medium heat, heat slowly to a temperature of 350 F (170°C), then turn off the heat.
• Wait 10 minutes, then remove the peppercorns, cinnamon stick and star anise with a skimmer.
• Add the red hot pepper flakes and let them steep in the hot oil.
• Let the oil cool, and store it in a glass jar and in the refrigerator.

Meat and sui mi ya cai

• In a wok, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat and brown the ground pork.
• Add the hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, black soy sauce and Chinese five spice powder. Cook until all liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
• Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in another wok over medium heat, and sauté the sui mi ya cai for a few minutes. Set aside.

Sauce

• In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Noodles and and vegetables

• Cook the noodles according to package directions and drain (keep water).
• Blanch the leafy vegetables in the noodle water and drain.
• Divide the sauce among six bowls followed by the noodles and leafy vegetables.
• Add the cooked pork and the sui mi ya cai on top.
• Sprinkle with peanuts and scallions. Serve immediately.