Spicy Miso Ramen Recipe

Roast or blanch the chicken bones: to remove impurities and deepen flavor, place bones on a baking sheet and roast at 200°C (400°F) for 25–30 minutes until browned. Alternatively, for cleaner broth, blanch bones in boiling water 5 minutes, discard blanch water and rinse bones.

In a large stockpot, add roasted or blanched bones and 4 liters of cold water. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Skim foam and impurities for the first 20–30 minutes to keep the broth clear.

Add smashed ginger, crushed garlic, halved shallots, dried shiitake and kombu. Reduce heat to low and maintain a gentle simmer for 3–4 hours, partially covered. Top up with hot water if necessary to keep bones submerged.

After simmering, remove solids with a slotted spoon and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth into a clean pot. Discard solids.

Warm about 1 cup (250 ml) of strained hot broth in a small bowl, whisk in both miso pastes until dissolved, then stir that miso mixture back into the main pot. Add soy sauce, mirin, sake and 2 tsp salt. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more miso for deeper umami or salt/soy for saltiness. Keep broth hot but not boiling.

In a small saucepan, combine neutral oil, smashed garlic and smashed ginger. Heat gently over medium-low until oil reaches 120–140°C (250–285°F) — small bubbles will appear around aromatics. Remove from heat and let aromatics steep for 5 minutes.

In a heatproof bowl, place crushed dried chili flakes, whole Sichuan peppercorns, toasted sesame seeds and salt. Carefully strain hot oil to remove garlic/ginger and pour the hot oil over the chili mixture. The oil will bubble and darken the flakes; stir to combine. Let cool to room temperature, then transfer to a jar. Store refrigerated. Use 1–2 tbs per bowl or to taste.

Heat vegetable oil and sesame oil in a wide skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add minced garlic and ginger and fry briefly until fragrant but not brown (about 30 seconds).

Add ground chicken and cook, breaking into small pieces, until no longer pink and starting to brown (4–6 minutes).

Stir in doubanjiang and optional extra chili paste; cook 1–2 minutes to release aromas. Deglaze with Shaoxing wine or sake and let alcohol evaporate (30 seconds).

Pour in 200 ml hot chicken broth from the strained pot, add light soy sauce, ground Sichuan pepper and white pepper. Gently fold in tofu cubes, taking care not to break them excessively. Simmer on low 4–5 minutes for flavors to marry.

Mix cornstarch with 2 tbs water to make a slurry. Stir slurry into the skillet gradually until sauce thickens to a loose gravy that coats chicken and tofu (about 1 minute). Adjust seasoning—add a pinch of salt or a splash of soy if needed. Keep warm on the lowest heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 tsp salt. Cook thick ramen noodles according to package instructions until al dente (generally 3–5 minutes for fresh, 5–8 for dried). Reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the noodle cooking water, then drain noodles and briefly rinse under hot tap water if desired to remove excess starch.

Meanwhile, blanch mixed vegetables: in the same boiling water (or separate pot), blanch bok choy and spinach for 30–60 seconds until bright and tender; blanch bean sprouts for 15–30 seconds. Remove and drain.

Warm serving bowls by pouring in some hot water and discarding. Reheat miso broth to a gentle simmer.

Place a portion of cooked thick ramen noodles into each bowl (approximately 150 g cooked noodles per serving).

Ladle hot miso chicken broth over noodles (about 450 ml per bowl).

Spoon generous portions of the spicy ground chicken and mabo-tofu mixture on top of the noodles and into the broth (about 100 g ground chicken/tofu mixture per serving).

Arrange blanched vegetables to one side of the bowl.

Drizzle 1–2 teaspoons (or to taste) of house-made chili oil over the mabo-tofu and broth. Sprinkle a small pinch of wild pepper or toasted Sichuan pepper over the top for aroma.

Garnish with chopped chives, sliced fresh chili peppers, and scallions. Add soft-boiled egg halves if using.

Serve immediately, with additional chili oil on the side. Note: if diner prefers no tofu, omit tofu from the mabo mixture and increase ground chicken to 600 g; adjust cornstarch slurry for thickness.