Ramen with chicken bone broth, pork shoulder, soft-boiled egg & greens

Contains pork – recipe is for non-Muslims only
A steaming bowl of ramen noodle soup is a comforting Japanese classic – slowly simmer the bone broth for a rich depth of flavour

Prep:25 mins
Cook:4 hrs 10 mins

Serves 4
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 798
fat 32g
saturates 10g
carbs 51g
sugars 4g
fibre 4g
protein 71g
salt 6g

Ingredients

4 eggs
250g ramen noodles
2 large handfuls shredded spring greens
4 spring onions, finely chopped
75g bamboo shoots from a can, drained, chopped and soaked in 2 tbsp rice vinegar
chilli oil, to serve
pickled chilli and shallots (see recipe in tip, optional), to serve
6 chicken legs
2 large carrot, halved
2 onions, quartered
4cm piece ginger, sliced
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
900g piece pork shoulder (thick layer of fat removed), halved
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp saké
4 tbsp Japanese soy sauce

Tip

Pickled chilli and shallots

Put 1 sliced red chilli (deseeded if you don't like it too hot) and 3 quartered small shallots in a small bowl and pour 150ml rice wine vinegar over. Add some salt and let it sit to pickle for at least 20 minutes. Drain before serving.

Method

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. For the stock, put the chicken, carrots, onions and ginger in a large roasting tin. Sprinkle with seasoning and roast for 30 mins. Transfer everything from the tin, including the fat and juices, to a large saucepan. Add the shiitake mushrooms and the pork, and pour in 3 litres of cold water. Bring to the boil and turn down to the lowest simmer you can. After the foamy scum rises to the top, skim it off with a ladle and discard. Part-cover with a lid. Let it simmer for 3 hrs but remove the pork after about 2½ hrs, or when it is very soft, and set aside. Strain the stock into a clean pan. Save the chicken and use it for something else. Boil for another 30-40 mins on a medium heat to reduce by a third, then skim the excess fat off. Add about 1 tsp salt and taste to see if it needs more.
Boil the eggs in a pan for 6 mins, then remove and put in iced water to cool.
Boil the noodles in a large pan, stirring so they don’t stick, until al dente, about 3 mins. In the final minute of cooking, add the greens. Drain and divide between the bowls.
Mix the ramen seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Slice the pork and add to the bowls. Pour the broth over each and add the spring onions and bamboo shoots. Peel the eggs, slice in half lengthways and place in each bowl with a dollop of pickled chilli & shallots, if you like. Pass round the ramen seasoning and chilli oil to serve on top.