Shio Ramen with Chicken Chashu

Make Shio Ramen with Chicken Chashu tonight: craft a clear umami broth and tender chicken chashu for perfect bowls.

Ingredients

• 12½ cups water
• ⅔ oz kombu (roughly 2 pieces; 4 x 4 inches, 10 x 10 cm per piece) 2
• ⅔ oz dried shiitake (5–10 g per piece; my 4 pieces are ⅔ oz, 20 g)
• ⅔ oz iriko/niboshi (boiled and dried anchovies)
• 12 cups Cold Brew Dashi (see above)
• 1½ lbs ground chicken
• 1 knob ginger
• 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) (separated; for the broth, use some of the dark green tops and the Y-shaped section where the leaves meet the stalk; substitute with several green onions)
• ⅔ oz katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (I used thick shavings; for thin shavings, use the same amount in weight or 2 packed cups) 2
• 1 boneless, skin-on chicken breast (you can get bone-in chicken breast and ask the butcher to remove the bone or remove it yourself; use 2 chicken breasts, 4 cups water, and 40 g salt if you want to use the large center cut or attractive slices) 2 4 40
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (20 g) 20
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 chicken skin (from 1 chicken breast; skip for vegan/vegetarian) 1
• some dark green tops of the Tokyo negi
• light green leaves of the Tokyo negi
• 1 clove garlic
• ¼ cup neutral oil
• ½ cup Cold Brew Dashi (for vegan/vegetarian, use vegetable stock)
• ½ cup sake
• 2 Tbsp mirin
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• ¼ tsp fish sauce (optional; skip for vegan/vegetarian)
• ¼ cup Diamond Crystal kosher salt (40 g) 40
• ⅙ oz katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) (I used thick shavings; for thin shavings, use the same weight measurement or ½ cup) ½
• 4 servings fresh ramen noodles (1¼–1½ lbs, 566–680 g fresh noodles; 13 oz, 360 g dry ramen noodles; for gluten-free, use GF ramen noodles) 1¼–1½ 566–680 13 360
• outer layers of the Tokyo negi‘s white stalk (to make shiraga negi (white scallion topping); use the remaining inner core for the Aroma Oil)
• 1 green onion/scallion
• 4 Ramen Egg (skip for vegan)
• 1 Chicken Chashu (for vegetarian/vegan, grill king oyster mushrooms, eggplant, or fried tofu)
• ¼ cup menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) (you can buy it at a Japanese grocery store or on Amazon; you can make my Quick Menma Recipe)
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• 4 cups vegetable stock/broth
• 4 cups water
• ½ oz kombu (dried kelp) (roughly 6 x 6 inches, 15 x 15 cm per ½ oz or 15 g)
• 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms (my 6 pieces are 1 oz, 30 g)

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Cold Brew Dashi

Combine the dried aromatics with cool water and let time do the work: add kombu pieces, dried shiitake, and iriko/niboshi to the measured water and steep overnight (or at least 4 hours) in the refrigerator if it’s warm. Be mindful not to steep longer than 12 hours to avoid bitterness from the kombu. After steeping, reserve the small portion specified for the shio tare and set it aside. This gentle, cold extraction yields a delicate, umami-rich, translucent stock—soft, slightly briny, and faintly earthy in aroma.

Step 2: Build the Ramen Broth with Ground Chicken

Slice a knob of ginger into a few thin discs and section the Tokyo negi, keeping the Y-shaped piece and some dark green tops for the soup. Add the reserved twelve cups of cold-brewed dashi to a pot with the ground chicken, ginger slices, and those negi pieces; heat gently, breaking the chicken apart with a wooden spatula so it disperses into the liquid. Bring the stock slowly to the point just before boiling, remove and discard the kombu pieces, then simmer gently for 30 minutes so the chicken thoroughly flavors the broth while staying clear. Finish by adding thick katsuobushi shavings and simmering briefly, then strain through a fine mesh to yield a bright, golden, clean-tasting broth—silky, savory, faintly smoky.

Step 3: Poach the Chicken Chashu

Remove the chicken skin and cut it into pieces for later use; place the boneless, skin-on breast into a small pot with salted water (and freshly ground pepper) and an otoshibuta or a weight so it remains submerged. Keep the liquid at a gentle simmer for 25–30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF/74ºC, then transfer the chicken to a plate and loosely cover so it rests and reabsorbs juices. The finished chashu should be tender, moist, with a smooth, sliceable texture and a pale, glazed surface—ready to be thinly sliced once cooled.

Step 4: Render the Aroma Oil

In a small pan, combine neutral oil with the chicken-skin pieces, minced garlic, and both light and dark green parts of the negi; cook slowly over low heat until the skin and aromatics have yielded deep savory compounds and the oil takes on a golden, fragrant clarity—about 10–15 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh, pressing gently to extract every last glossy drop; the resulting aroma oil will be a clear, warm-gold liquid flecked with tiny green scallion fragments and the ghost of roasted chicken—concentrated, aromatic, and silky.

Step 5: Prepare the Shio Tare

Combine the small reserved amount of cold brew dashi with sake, mirin, soy sauce, optional fish sauce, and the measured kosher salt in a small pot. Bring to a gentle boil, simmer briefly, and then add the katsuobushi; if using thick shavings, simmer a few minutes and strain, or if using thin shavings, steep off heat. The shio tare should finish as a balanced, saline seasoning base—crystal-clear with an anchoring umami depth and a slightly sweet mirin lift.

Step 6: Prepare Toppings and Finishing Elements

Score and peel the outer layers of the white negi stalk, julienne into fine shiraga negi and soak briefly to tame bitterness; reserve the inner core for other uses. Slice green onion thinly, measure the menma, and halve ramen eggs cleanly for glossy yolks. Slice the cooled chicken chashu about ¼ inch thick; optionally torch the surface for a faint char and warmer color. Everything should be cleanly prepared: the shiraga airy and white, menma fibrous and glossy, egg yolks custardy and vivid, chashu slices tender and slightly caramelized at the edges.

Step 7: Cook Noodles and Assemble the Bowls

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, cook fresh ramen noodles just shy of your preferred doneness, then time each bowl: place 2 tablespoons shio tare and 1 tablespoon aroma oil into a matte grey ceramic ramen bowl, pour 350 ml warmed broth into each bowl, then transfer and neatly arrange the noodles so they coil with height. Top with arranged chicken chashu slices, two ramen-egg halves with glossy yolks, a small mound of shiraga negi, ¼ cup menma, a scattering of sliced green onion, and a light thread of aroma oil on the surface. Serve immediately—each bowl should look composed and inviting, the clear broth shimmering, noodles springy, chashu glossy, and yolks luminous.

Notes

• Make the cold brew dashi overnight for the best depth, but 4 hours is the minimum.
• Keep heat low when simmering the broth to preserve clarity.
• Store broth and tare separately to control seasoning when reheating.
• Replace chicken with grilled mushrooms or fried tofu for a vegetarian bowl.
• Freeze extra broth in portions for quick future meals.