Ingredients:

  • 2 kg chicken carcasses or backs
  • 1 large onion, halved with skin on
  • 100g ginger, smashed
  • 1 head of garlic, halved horizontally
  • 3 liters filtered water
  • 25g dried kombu
  • 30g katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes)
  • 3 dried shiitake mushrooms
  • 240ml high-quality Japanese soy sauce
  • 60ml mirin
  • 30ml sake
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 500g pork belly, rolled and tied
  • 4 marinated ramen eggs (nitamago)
  • 400g fresh ramen noodles
  • 40g menma (fermented bamboo shoots)
  • 4 stalks scallions, finely sliced
  • 4 sheets nori

Instructions:

  1. Place the 2 kg chicken carcasses in the stockpot and cover with 3 liters of water. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes until a grey foam rises to the top. Drain the water, rinse the bones, and refill the pot with 3 fresh liters of water. Add the onion, ginger, and garlic.
  2. Bring the pot to a very gentle simmer. Cook for 2.5 hours until the liquid has reduced slightly and smells intensely of chicken.
  3. Add the rolled 500g pork belly directly into the simmering broth for the last 1.5 hours of the broth cook time.
  4. In a small saucepan, combine 240ml soy sauce, 60ml mirin, 30ml sake, and 1 tsp brown sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes until the alcohol scent dissipates and the liquid glazes a spoon. Set aside; this is your flavor concentrate.
  5. Thirty minutes before the broth is finished, add the 25g kombu and 3 dried shiitakes. Turn off the heat 5 minutes before the end and stir in the 30g katsuobushi. Let it steep like tea for 5 minutes.
  6. Remove the pork belly and set it aside to cool. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot. Discard the solids. You should have a shimmering, clear liquid.
  7. Slice the cooled pork belly into thin rounds. Slice the marinated eggs in half and prepare the scallions and nori.
  8. Boil the 400g fresh ramen noodles according to the package (usually 2-3 minutes) until they have a firm, bouncy snap. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the tare in each bowl, pour in 350ml of hot broth, and whisk to combine. Add the noodles and arrange the pork, eggs, bamboo shoots, and nori on top.