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Onomichi ramen
尾道ラーメン: soy ramen with a chicken and small-fish broth, flat noodles and melting bits of pork back fat
Onomichi is a hilly port town in Hiroshima prefecture on the Seto Inland Sea, and the start of the Shimanami Kaido cycle route across the islands to Shikoku. Its ramen shops serve a dark soy-seasoned broth made from chicken and small dried fish, with flat, slightly wavy noodles. The signature is a scattering of soft pork back-fat pieces that float on top and melt into each mouthful. Many visitors eat a bowl before or after the bike ride. Chef's tip: pull the heads and dark bellies off the dried sardines before using them; that is where the bitterness lives, and the cleaned fish give a sweet, clean sea flavour.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 2
Ingredients
For the broth
For the back fat
For the soy tare
For the bowls
Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Rinse the chicken 1 ⅓ lb chicken wings or a chicken carcass, put them in a large pot with the 6 ¼ cups water and bring to the boil over a high heat. Skim off all the grey foam.
10 minStep 2: Turn the heat to low and add the 3 slices fresh ginger, 2 spring onion green tops and the 2 ⅛ oz pork back fat in one piece. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 25 minutes.
25 minStep 3: Meanwhile, pinch the heads off the ⅔ oz dried sardines (niboshi) and pull out the dark bellies. Soak the cleaned fish with the ⅛ oz kombu (dried kelp) in 200 ml of the hot broth, ladled into a bowl.
Step 4: Add the soaked niboshi, kombu and their liquid to the pot. Simmer at a bare bubble for 20 more minutes. Common mistake: boiling the dried fish hard. Fierce boiling makes the broth bitter and murky; keep it barely moving.
20 minStep 5: Lift out the back fat, which should now be soft and wobbly. Chop it very finely on a board until it looks like coarse crumbs and keep it warm in a small bowl with a ladle of broth.
Step 6: Strain the broth through a fine sieve into a clean pan, pressing lightly; you should have about 800 ml. Discard the solids. The chicken has simmered for 45 minutes and is fully cooked. Keep the broth hot over a low heat.
2 minStep 7: Make the tare: warm the 5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin and 1 tsp sugar in a small pan over a low heat for 1 minute until the sugar dissolves. Mirin contains a little alcohol; for an alcohol-free tare use 1 extra teaspoon of sugar and 1 tablespoon of water instead.
1 minStep 8: Warm the 6 slices cooked chashu or roast pork slices in a ladle of broth. Bring a large pan of water to the boil for the noodles.
5 minStep 9: Put half of the tare in each of two warm bowls and pour in 400 ml of hot broth per bowl. Stir and taste; add a splash more soy sauce if you like it saltier.
Step 10: Cook the 9 oz fresh flat ramen noodles for 1.5 to 2 minutes, or as the packet says, until just tender with a little bite. Drain well, shaking off the water.
2 minStep 11: Slide the noodles into the broth and fold them over neatly. Top with the chashu, 1 ⅜ oz menma (seasoned bamboo shoots) (if using) and 2 spring onions, then spoon the back-fat crumbs over the surface and serve at once.
Step 12: Leftover broth keeps for 3 days: cool it quickly, refrigerate within 2 hours and reheat until boiling before use.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 78 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does onomichi ramen take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 2 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
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