Super Bowl Ramen Recipe

Blanch bones: place pork bones in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a vigorous boil for 8–10 minutes to remove scum. Drain bones and rinse under warm water, cleaning pot of any residue.

Combine in clean pot: return blanched bones to the clean pot, add 6 L fresh water, garlic, sliced ginger, halved onion, scallion whites, kombu, and dried shiitake. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Simmer low and slow: maintain a low simmer (small bubbles) for 6–8 hours, occasionally skimming foam and fat. If using pressure cooker/instant pot, cook 90–120 minutes on high, then release.

Finish and season: remove solids and strain broth through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Return clear broth to pot, season with soy sauce, mirin and 2 tsp salt, then taste and adjust (add up to 1 tsp more salt or a splash more soy for depth). Keep hot until assembly.

Roll and tie (optional): score or roll pork belly and tie into a log for even braising. Sear the pork belly in a hot pan, fat-side down first, until browned on all sides.

Combine braising liquid: in a pot combine 1 L water, soy sauce, mirin, sake, brown sugar, smashed garlic, sliced ginger and scallions. Bring to a simmer.

Braise: add seared pork belly to the simmering liquid. Cover and braise gently for 1.5–2 hours until fork-tender, turning once halfway. Keep the braising liquid reduced to a glaze if desired by removing pork and simmering liquid until syrupy.

Cool and slice: let pork belly cool slightly in its liquid for flavor. Remove, discard aromatics, and slice into 8–10 mm thick pieces. Reserve a few tablespoons of braising liquid to glaze slices before serving.

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Gently lower eggs and cook exactly 6:30–7:00 minutes for jammy yolks (adjust +/- 15 sec depending on egg size).

Ice bath: transfer eggs to an ice bath immediately for 5 minutes to stop cooking. Peel carefully.

Make marinade: combine 60 ml soy sauce, 30 ml mirin, 30 ml water and 1 tsp sugar until sugar dissolves.

Marinate: place peeled eggs in marinade (use a small container or zip bag) and chill at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. For this recipe you will use 1 egg cut in half (2 halves) per two bowls; adjust as needed.

Prep shrimp: pat shrimp dry, make 3 small shallow slits on the underside to prevent curling. Lightly dust with cornstarch.

Make batter: in a bowl combine tempura flour, beaten egg and ice-cold club soda. Stir lightly — batter should be lumpy and cold. Do not overmix.

Heat oil: heat oil to 175–180°C (350–360°F) in a deep pot. Test with a small drop of batter — it should sizzle and rise immediately.

Fry shrimp: dip shrimp into batter, let excess drip, and fry 2–3 at a time until golden and crisp, about 1.5–2 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season lightly with 1 tsp salt. Keep warm in a 120°C oven if making ahead.

Marinate chicken: combine chicken pieces with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp sake, grated ginger and garlic. Marinate 20–30 minutes refrigerated.

Coat: toss marinated chicken in cornstarch until evenly coated.

Heat oil: heat oil to 170–175°C (340–350°F) in a deep pot. Fry chicken in batches 4–5 minutes until crisp and cooked through, turning as needed. Drain on a rack or paper towels and season with 1 tsp salt. For extra crispness, double-fry: remove when just cooked, rest 2 minutes, then return to hot oil 180°C for 45–60 seconds.

Prepare tofu: press tofu at least 20 minutes to remove excess moisture, then cut into 12 equal cubes. Pat dry.

Coat and shallow fry: dust tofu cubes evenly with cornstarch. Heat 200 ml oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and shallow-fry tofu turning until all sides are golden, about 3–4 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and season with 1/2 tsp salt.

Zucchini: slice zucchini into 5 mm half-moons and sauté in a little oil over medium heat until tender-crisp, 2–3 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.

Bamboo shoots & corn: if bamboo shoots are canned, rinse and briefly simmer 1–2 minutes to heat. If corn is frozen, blanch in boiling water 1 minute then drain. Keep warm.

Wakame: rehydrate wakame in warm water for 5 minutes, drain and squeeze excess water. Set aside.

Cook noodles: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook ramen noodles according to package for al dente (usually 2–4 minutes for fresh, 4–5 for dried). Drain and briefly rinse only if using dried to remove excess starch; keep warm.

Heat broth: reheat pork broth to a near rolling simmer. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt or soy sauce. Stir in 1 tsp sesame oil if desired for finish.

Assemble bowls: divide noodles among 4 bowls (1 fresh-serving portion per bowl). Ladle ~600 ml hot pork broth over noodles (adjust to bowl size). Arrange toppings on each bowl: 2–3 slices braised pork belly, 2 shrimp tempura, 4–5 pieces fried chicken (or 2–3 if sharing), 3 fried tofu cubes, a handful of sautéed zucchini, 2–3 tbsp bamboo shoots, 2 tbsp corn, a small mound of wakame, half a marinated egg (cut egg in half), and a sprinkle of sliced scallions. Finish with a pinch of shichimi togarashi if using.

Serve immediately: serve hot so tempura and fried items stay crispy. Offer extra soy sauce or chili oil at the table.