The old standard for hungry and broke students is the instant Ramen packs you see at the store for 99¢. Takes all of 10 minutes to make. This version takes a little bit longer, six hours longer.

Shoyu Ramen is made with soy sauce. You can leave out the soy sauce for a Shio Ramen. When using white miso (soy bean) that is a Miso Ramen. This Ramen I’m making will also have a touch of Dashi, which consists is Sweet Aji-Mirin (8% alcohol sake and a little sweeter than sake), and a dash of Kombo (sea kelp). The noodles in Ramen noodle soup don’t have to be like the ones you get with the store packet. They can be Udon (thick noodle) or a non-wavy Lo Mein, which is what I’m using in this dish. I start the broth with chicken wings, onion, peppercorns, a little celery, carrot and green onions. I cook for an hour, strain, return the chicken (discard the rest), return the strained chicken stock and simmer 4 to 6 hours while adding fresh garlic and fresh ginger. Chicken wings makes a “stock”, which is meat and bones. This is a labor intensive dish but worth the effort.

Serves 2:

Meat:
1 Lb. chicken wings
2 Chicken thighs

Vegies on top:
1 carrot, cut into match sticks
½ green pepper, cut into match sticks
2 baby bok choy,
1 batch of scallions (green onions)
6 dried shitake mushroom, rehydrated
1 hand full of spinach

Other:
1 boiled egg
2 cubes of chicken bouillon

Marinade the Chicken Thighs:
2 TBSP. Aji-Mirin
2 TBSP. Soy Sauce
1 Garlic clove chopped

Place the thighs in a plastic bag, add the marinade and let sit for an hour at room temp.

Ramen:
1 inch circle of cooked Lo Mein noodles, boiled ad dente

Stock:
¼ cup red onions
½ TBSP. peppercorns
1 small celery stalk chopped
1 small carrot skinned and chopped
3 green onions chopped
1 small strip of sea kelp (kombu)
4 TBSP. Aji-Mirin
1 inch ginger
3 cloves garlic
4 cups water

Add water, chicken wings, red onion, peppercorns, a little celery, carrot, 1 clove garlic and green onions. Cook for an hour, strain, return the chicken (discard the rest), return the strained chicken stock and simmer 4 hours adding 2 clove fresh garlic finely chopped and fresh ginger. Remove chicken meat from bones, return the bones and add the kombu and add 4 TBSP. Aji Mirin cook on low 1 hour.

Note: A drain lid pot with spouts works great here.

Strain the stock and return. Remove 1 cup of stock and add to another smaller pot.

Cook Vegies on top:
In the cup of stock cock 1 minute each until al dente
Add and cook the carrots and remove
Add and cook the green pepper and remove
Add and cook the spinach and remove
Add and cook the green onion and remove

Lo Mein Noodles:
Cook the Lo Mein (your noodles) exactly 12 minutes and strain

Glaze for Chicken thighs:
2 tsp. brown sugar
2 TBSP soy sauce

Chicken thighs:
Heat oven to 425. In a pan with parchment add the chicken thigh skin side down and cook 15 minutes. Mix the glaze. Turn the skin side up cook 15 minutes. Remove. Debone the chicken. Return to the pan and add the glaze and cook another 10 minutes, remove and slice the chicken to serving size for chop sticks.

In a serving bowl add the noodles, stock, top with vegies, chicken thighs and egg and serve.