The Big Book Of Sempai / Senpai

Sweets and Treats #12 - Chicken Ramen

⚠️ NOT MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES ⚠️

A bowl of ramen is a total flavor bomb, filled with a rich, flavorful broth, tender meat, noodles, and topped with the crowning glory if you ask for it - the ramen egg. And there is a reason that ramen is so flavorful. It is pretty time-consuming to make a broth that complex.

This Easy Chicken Ramen can be made at home in about 30 minutes! A flavorful broth with chicken and noodles, and don't forget the ramen egg!

THIS EASY CHICKEN RAMEN IS A BOWL FULL OF FLAVOR, AND YOU CAN MAKE IT IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES.
So, this is not an authentic ramen recipe. But it is a bowl full of flavor, and you can make it in about 30 minutes. Also I have made it four times in the past few weeks, soooo, I've been eating A LOT of it and am not sick of it yet.

I learned a few things while making this recipe, and the most important one is about the noodles. I used fresh yakisoba noodles because I wanted that fresh noodle texture. But here is the thing. You can't just cook the noodles in the broth and call it good. I really wanted to cook them in the soup because that makes sense and I didn't want an extra step of cooking noodles separately. But the problem is that if you cook the noodles in the soup, they release a bunch of starch which thickens up the broth AND they start sucking up all the liquid in the soup. Then you are left with a bunch of soggy noodles and a soup with hardly any broth. It is not good. I mean, it isn't bad. I still ate it. But it isn't ideal Plus, if you reheat the leftovers the noodles pretty much dissolve. Nope, best to just cook the noodles separately , then serve them individually and pour the soup over them. Bonus points: You are totally in control of your noodle portion. Lots or just a few, it is your choice.

So, this is not an authentic ramen recipe. But it is a bowl full of flavor, and you can make it in about 30 minutes. Also I have made it four times in the past few weeks, soooo, I've been eating A LOT of it and am not sick of it yet.

And let's talk about the ramen egg. I followed the instructions over at Just One Cookbook - except I subbed rice vinegar for mirin because that is what I keep on hand. I marinaded them overnight and then just reheated them in soup. If you can't be bothered with the marinading, you can just make a soft boiled egg and skip the marinading. Or even use a poached or fried egg! But really, I do recommend using an egg, it just takes the whole thing up another level. And if you happen to have the time to make the eggs the night before and marinade them, it is really good.

This Easy Chicken Ramen can be made at home in about 30 minutes! A flavorful broth with chicken and noodles, and don't forget the ramen egg!
EASY CHICKEN RAMEN

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Total time: 40 mins
Serves: 4

This Easy Chicken Ramen can be made at home in about 30 minutes! A flavorful broth with chicken and noodles, and don't forget the ramen egg!
INGREDIENTS
For Soup
1 tablespoon oil
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root
4 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minced
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
½ - ¾ pounds baby bok choy, sliced into quarters lengthwise
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1-2 packages fresh yakisoba noodles* (one package is about 7 ounces. Use two packages if you like lots of noodles. Fresh noodles are usually found in the produce section of the grocery store)
For Ramen Egg**
4 eggs
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¾ cup water
Additional toppings (optional)
sliced green onion
cilantro
chili garlic sauce
sesame seeds
lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS
To prepare the ramen egg
Whisk together the ¼ cup of soy sauce, ¼ cup of rice vinegar and ¾ cup water, set aside.
Prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl with ice and water.
Bring a pot of water to boil (make sure there is enough water to cover the eggs). When boiling, carefully lower the eggs into the water using a slotted spoon or spider. Reduce heat if necessary to keep the water just barely boiling. Cook for seven minutes, then remove from pot and place eggs in the ice bath. Leave in the ice bath for 3 minutes. Remove from ice bath and gently peel (egg will be soft). Place peeled eggs in the marinade and make sure they are completely covered with the marinade. Leave in the marinade for several hours or overnight. If keeping longer, discard the marinade and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days. Reheat the egg in the ramen broth (don't leave in the broth very long before serving or the egg will overcook).
To prepare the noodles
If using fresh noodles:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. When boiling, add the noodles and simmer for 3 minutes. Strain and rinse with cold water. Toss with just a little oil if necessary to keep them from sticking (mine already had a little oil on them, so I didn't need to). Set aside.
(If using another type of noodle, follow package instructions)
To prepare soup
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sliced mushrooms and saute for another 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant so that they don't burn. Add the chicken broth and 1 cup of water, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce, stir to combine. Bring back to a simmer.
When broth reaches a simmer, add the chicken thighs. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and reaches a temperature of 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken and shred it with two forks. Add it back to the broth along with the bok choy and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and serve.
To serve the ramen
In a bowl, place a serving of noodles, then pour the soup over them. Top soup with ramen egg, sliced green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds if desired.
NOTES
*Keep the noodles seperate from the soup until just before serving. For leftovers, store the broth and noodles seperately.
**The egg is optional but I really recommend it. If you don't have time to marinade the egg, you can just skip the marinading step. You can also serve with a fried or poached egg if you prefer.