Shoyu ramen

Active: 1 hour 15 minutes; Total: 6 hours 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Broth, chicken, low-sodium	8 cups
Mushrooms, shiitake, dried	16
Kombu	30 grams
Bonito flakes	20 grams
Mirin	1 ¼ cups
Soy sauce	1 ¼ cups
Sake	½ cup
Sugar, granulated	¼ cup
Ginger, sliced	2-inch piece
Scallions, halved	3
Garlic, peeled	3 cloves smashed + 8 cloves sliced
Sugar, brown	2 packed tablespoons
Water	1 ½ cups + 6 cups + 6 cups + 6 cups
Pork belly, skin-on	1 pound
Eggs, cold	4 large
Oil, canola	½ cup
Cayenne	1 tablespoon
Sesame seeds	2 teaspoons
Wheat noodles, fresh	4 ounces

Chicken dashi 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring the broth to a bare simmer; remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes. 
2. Add the mushrooms and kombu, and let steep for 5 minutes. 
3. Add bonito flakes, and let steep 5 minutes more. 
4. Strain the dashi; reserve solids. 

Tare & chashu 

1. In a large pot over medium heat, bring the mirin, soy sauce, sake, sugars, ginger, scallions, smashed garlic, and 1 ½-cups water to a low simmer, then reduce heat to low. 
2. Meanwhile, in a medium pot over medium heat, bring the pork and 6-cups water to a bare simmer; immediately drain, and gently rinse the pork. 
3. Transfer the pork to the pot with the tare, and bring to a simmer. 
4. Cover and cook over low heat until tender, about 1 hour 20 minutes. 
5. Let cool 20 minutes, then strain and reserve the tare liquid. 
6. Refrigerate the pork and tare separately. 

Nitamago 

1. In a medium pot over medium heat, bring 6-cups water to a boil. 
2. Prink the bottom of the eggs with a pin. 
3. Gently lower the eggs into the pot with a spoon, and simmer for 6 minutes; drain. 
4. Transfer the eggs to an ice bath, and let cool 5 minutes. 
5. Thoroughly and gently crack the eggshells, then return to the ice bath to cool for 10 minutes more. 
6. Carefully peel the eggs, and transfer to a medium bowl. 
7. Pour tare over; weigh down the eggs with the reserved spent kombu to fully immerse in liquid. 
8. Let marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours, and up to 12. 

Garlic la-yu 

1. In a small pot over very low heat, simmer the garlic in canola oil, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 15 minutes. 
2. Remove from heat, stir in the cayenne, then the seeds; let cool. 

Serving 

1. Slice the chashu into 2-inch-wide slices; torch lightly, if desired. 
2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the noodles, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 1 to 2 minutes; drain. 
3. In a small pot over medium heat, bring the dashi and mushrooms to a simmer; cook 1 minute. 
4. Transfer the dashi to a serving bowl, then add tare and noodles. 
5. Top with mushrooms, chashu, nitamago, scallion, and a drizzle of la-yu. 

Recipe from Delish magazine by June Xie.

Soba noodles with crispy duck & hot dipping sauce

Active: 50 minutes; Total: 8 hours 50 minutes; Serves: 4

Water	4 cups
Kombu square	3-inch square
Shiitake, dried, rinsed	3 medium
Duck breast	2 6-ounce
Salt, kosher	½ teaspoon
Soy sauce	3/4 cup
Hon mirin	2 tablespoons
Sugar, cane	1 ½ tablespoons
Leek, white & green parts only, cut into 2- x ¼-inch strips	1 medium
Sake	1 tablespoon
Lemon or yazu peel strips, lengthwise into 1/8-inch strips	2
Ginger, peeled, cut into strips	1 ½ inch
Mitsuba or cilantro	Garnish
Serrano chile	Garnish
Soba noodles, cooked

1. Sprinkle duck breasts all over with salt; place on plate, skin side up, on a plate, and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours or overnight. 
2. Stir together the water, kombu, and shiitakes in a medium bowl; let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours or overnight. 
3. Remove the kombu and mushrooms; discard the kombu or, if desired, reserve to make another batch of dashi, reserve and slice the mushrooms.
4. Combine the soy sauce, hon mirin, and sugar in a large saucepan. 
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just beings to simmer and the sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. 
6. Stir in the dashi, leek, mushrooms, and sake; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. 
7. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, stirring occasionally, until the leek is tender and the mixture has reduced to about 4 cups, 20 to 25 minutes. 
8. Cover dipping sauce, and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve. 
9. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. 
10. Place the duck breast, skin sides down, in the skillet; reduce heat to medium-low. 
11. Cook, undisturbed, occasionally spooning off drippings from the skillet, until the fat is rendered and the skin is golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. 
12. Flip the duck breast; cook until a thermometer inserted in the thickest portion registers 130°F for medium-rare, 2 to 4 minutes. 
13. Transfer to a cutting board; let rest 10 minutes. 
14. To serve, divide the dipping sauce evenly among four bowl. 
15. Cut the duck breasts crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices, and add to the bowls 
16. Top evenly with citrus peel and ginger strips; garnish with mitsuba and serrano. 
17. Serve immediately with cold soba noodles. 

Recipe mildly adapted from Food&Wine Magazine, March 2021.