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.

Oven-steamed fish with scallions & ginger

Active: 10 minutes; Total: 30 minutes; Serves: 4

Scallions, trimmed, chopped; thinly sliced	6 + 2
Ginger, peeled, 2 inches chopped,  1 inch matchstick sliced	3-inch piece
Garlic, thinly sliced	3 cloves
Cod fillets, skinless	4
Soy sauce	3 tablespoons
Mirin rice wine	2 tablespoons
Toasted sesame oil	1 ½ teaspoons
Sugar	1 ½ teaspoons
Salt	¼ teaspoon
Pepper, white, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Oil, vegetable	2 tablespoons
Cilantro leaves	1/3 cup

1. Preheat your oven to 450°F; set a rack in the middle position. 
2. Spread the 6 scallions and two-thirds of the ginger evenly in a 13x9-inch baking pan, then top with the garlic. 
3. Fold an 18x12-inch piece of foil lengthwise to create an 18x6-inch sling; spray lightly with cooking spray. 
4. Place the sling in the pan lengthwise, with extra foil hanging over the ends of the pan. 
5. Arrange the cod on the sling; if the fillets vary in thickness, place thinner fillets in the middle and thicker at the ends. 
6. Whisk the soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until combined; pour around the cod. 
7. Cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake until the fish registers 125°F to 130°F, about 12 to 14 minutes. 
8. Grasping the sling at both ends, carefully transfer the sling with the cod to a deep serving platter. 
9. Position a spatula at one end of the fillets to hold in place, and carefully slide the sling from under the cod. 
10. Strain the cooking liquids through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquids; discard any solids. 
11. Pour the strained liquid over the cod; sprinkle with the thinly sliced scallions. 
12. Heat the oil in a small skillet over high heat until shimmering. 
13. Reduce the heat to low, add the ginger matchsticks, and cook, stirring, until the ginger begins to brown and crisp, about 20 to 30 seconds. 
14. Drizzle the oil and ginger over the cod. 
15. Top with cilantro, and serve. 

Recipe from Yve Fontilea, adapted from the America’s Test Kitchen.

Soy sauce eggs

Active: 25 minutes; Total: 6 hour 30 minutes; Serves: 3 

Water, warm	6 tablespoons
Sugar	1 tablespoon
Vinegar, sherry	2 tablespoons
Soy sauce, low sodium	¾ cup
Eggs	6 large
Pepper, freshly ground

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and sugar to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the vinegar and soy sauce. 
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. 
3. Carefully place the eggs into the water, and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 50 seconds, stirring slowly for the first 1 ½ minutes to distribute the heat evenly. 
4. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice; when the eggs are done, transfer them to the ice bath. 
5. Once the eggs are cool, peel them. 
6. Transfer the eggs to the soy sauce mixture, and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, and up to 6 hours, ensure they are completely submerged. 
7. Remove the eggs from the soy solution (reserving for another round of eggs, if you wish). 
8. To serve, cut the eggs in half lengthwise and season with pepper. 

Recipe from Food52.

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.

Shrimp toast with scallion-chili sauce

Total: 35 minutes; Makes 4 dozen toasts

Shrimp, large, shelled & deveined	8 ounces
Egg	1 large
Salt, kosher	1 teaspoon
Butter, unsalted, cold, cut into cubes	2 tablespoons
Sesame seeds, toasted	2 teaspoons + 1 ½ teaspoons
Bread, white, crusts removed	6 slices
Oil, canola	For frying
Scallion, finely chopped	½ + Garnish
Soy sauce	1 tablespoon
Vinegar, rice	1 tablespoon
Sambal oelek sauce	1 ½ teaspoons

1. Combine the shrimp, egg, and salt in a food processor; process until smooth, about 15 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. 
2. Add butter and 2-teaspoons sesame seeds, and pulse until smooth with flecks of butter remaining, about 7 pulses. 
3. Spread ¼-cup shrimp mousse on each bread slice. 
4. Pour oil to a depth of 1/8 inch in a large nonstick skillet; heat over medium until shimmering. 
5. Working in batches, add bread slices, mousse-side down, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. 
6. Flip the toasts; cook until browned and mousse is firm to touch, about 1 minute. 
7. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain. 
8. Stir together 1 ½-teaspoons scallions, soy sauce, vinegar, samba oelek, and remaining 1 ½-teaspoons sesame seeds in a small bowl. 
9. Cut each toast into eight triangles; transfer to a platter or board. 
10. Garnish with slice scallions; serve soy sauce mixture with toasts. 

Recipe from Food & Wine Holiday Recipes.

Slow cooker pepper steak

Skirt steak, cut into strips	1 ½ pounds
Bell pepper, cut into thick strips	1 green + 1 red
Onion, white, sliced	1
Water	¼ cup + ¼ cup
Bouillon, beef	2 cubes
Cornstarch	1 tablespoon
Soy sauce	3 tablespoons
Ginger, ground	¼ teaspoon
Garlic powder	¼ teaspoon
Pepper, freshly ground	¼ teaspoon
Sugar, brown	2 teaspoons
Rice, cooked

1. Place the beef, bell peppers, and onion in a 4-quart or larger slower cooker; set aside. 
2. In a measuring cup, microwave the bouillon cubes in ¼-cup water for 60 seconds; stir to dissolve. 
3. In a small bowl, combine ¼-cup, cornstarch, soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, pepper, and sugar; whisk until the cornstarch dissolves. 
4. Stir in the bouillon water, and pour over the beef mixture in the slow cooker. 
5. Cover and cook on low for 5 hours. 
6. Serve over rice.