How To Make Homemade Shio Ramen

Shio ramen, also known as salty ramen, is a delicious and delicate type of ramen that features a well-balanced salt-based broth. If you have some time and want to test out a new recipe or impress some friends, you can make your own shio ramen at home! This recipe requires a clear broth, so it is best to make chicken broth from scratch. This process takes some time, but you can prepare the rest of the ingredients while the broth cooks, and before you know it you will have some delicious, homemade salty ramen! Here’s how to make shio ramen yourself!

Total cooking time: 8 hours

Level: intermediate

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

Chicken broth

5 lbs of chicken parts (backs, wings, feet, etc)

1 large onion

10 garlic cloves

1 Tbsp ginger, roughly chopped

3 peeled carrots

¼ cup sake

3 Tbsp mirin

Dashi

1 piece of kombu

3 dried shiitake mushrooms

2 Tbsp bonito flakes

Seasoned eggs

3-4 eggs

1/2 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup mirin

Shio tare

2 cups water

1 ¼ tsp sugar

4 Tbsp salt

1 ¾ Tbsp light soy sauce

1 ¾ Tbsp mirin

½ Tbsp rice vinegar

Additional

Ramen noodles (dry or fresh)

Desired toppings (meat, vegetables, etc.)

For the chicken broth:

1. Place chicken parts and vegetables in a large pot and cover with an inch of water.
2. Bring water to a boil and skim the top as scum rises.
3. Once the liquid is free of scrum (30 minutes to an hour), add the sake and mirin.
4. Lower the heat to medium-high and cook for 6 hours.
5. Strain the broth into a clean pot using a fine mesh strainer. Discard solids.

For the dashi:

1. Cover kombu and shiitake mushrooms with 1 quart water in a sealed container. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
2. Transfer contents to a saucepan and bring to a simmer, then turn off heat.
3. Add bonito flakes and steep for 3 minutes.
4. Strain mixture and discard solids.

For the seasoned eggs:

1. Soft-boil your desired amount of eggs by cooking them in boiling water for 6 minutes.
2. Remove eggs from water and immediately put them into an ice bath to halt the cooking process.
3. While the eggs cool, create your marinade by combining the mirin, soy sauce, and water in a saucepan over high heat. Adjust the amount of water depending on how flavorful you want your eggs to be. Less water creates a stronger marinade and more water creates a more subtle marinade.
4. Bring ingredients to a boil and allow to boil for 2-3 minutes, or until the alcohol from the mirin has evaporated. Remove from heat.
5. While the marinade cools, remove the shells from the soft-boiled eggs and place the eggs in a container.
6. Pour marinade over eggs so they are covered. Place container in the fridge and let sit for at least 24 hours before using for the best result.

For the shio tare:

1. Bring the water to a boil and add salt. Stir to dissolve.
2. Reduce heat to a simmer and add remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
3. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.

Assemble ramen:

1. Place 2 Tbsp shio tare into the bottom of ramen bowls.
2. Over medium-high heat, combine chicken broth and dashi.
3. Add approximately 1 ½ cups of the hot broth to bowls and stir to combine with tare.
4. Cook ramen noodles according to package instructions and then portion into bowls.
5. Slice seasoned eggs in half and place on top of noodles in the bowl.
6. Lay your desired toppings on the noodles.

With a little patience, you can enjoy an authentic bowl of shio ramen at home any time! This recipe can be a great introduction to making homemade broth, and once you have the basics down, you can experiment with flavors and learn to make other types of ramen as well.