Chicken chashu shoyu ramen

• boneless chicken thighs↗2
• chicken breasts↗2
• ginger↗thumb-sized piece of

  thinly sliced

• dashi powder↗2 tbsp tbsp

  or 1 piece of dried kombu (5 cm square)

• garlic clove↗1 whole small

  cloves peeled

• soy sauce↗150ml ml
• sake↗4 tbsp tbsp
• mirin↗4 tbsp tbsp
• dark brown sugar↗2 tbsp tbsp
• chicken broth↗2 litres l
• fresh ramen noodles↗100-130g g

  (or 80‑100 g per serving if using dry ramen noodles)

• soft-boiled eggs↗3 soft-boiled
• nori (seaweed sheet)↗1 sheet of
• green onion↗2
• shichimi

  (Japanese seven spices) (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   First, prepare the chashu. Wrap the thighs around the breasts and secure with toothpicks or kitchen twine to form a cylinder – you may need to flatten the thighs slightly with a meat mallet. In a very hot pan, sear the chicken on each side until golden, about 25 minutes total.

2. 2

   Transfer the chicken to a medium saucepan with a lid and add ginger, dashi powder, garlic, soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar, along with 150 ml water. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium‑low and simmer for 30‑40 minutes. Remove the lid and let cool. If planning ahead, chill the chicken and sauce overnight or at least a few hours – this enhances flavor. After cooling, remove the chicken from the sauce, slice it and set the sauce aside.

3. 3

   Pour 240 ml of the sauce into a large pot (freeze the remainder for later use), bring to a boil, add the chicken broth and warm through.

4. 4

   In a separate pot of boiling water, cook the noodles according to the package instructions, then drain.

5. 5

   Divide the chicken broth and noodles among six bowls. Top with sliced chicken, half a boiled egg, and any other chosen toppings. Serve immediately, otherwise the noodles will become soggy.