Tori Paitan (Creamy Chicken Bone Broth Ramen — Emulsification)

Ingredients

• For the broth
• 1500 g chicken bones, backs, necks, and legs, cleaned
• 500 g chicken breast or thighs, skin-on, whole
• 200 g onion, halved, unpeeled
• 100 g carrot, roughly chopped
• 80 g ginger, fresh, 5 cm piece, crushed
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed, unpeeled
• 4 scallions, white parts only, crushed
• 3 liters water, cold
• 10 ml sake, premium dry sake
• 10 g sea salt
• For finishing and serving
• 400 g fresh or dried ramen noodles
• 120 ml tare, soy sauce or salt-based ramen broth concentrate
• 15 ml aroma oil, infused with chicken fat or aromatics
• 100 g chāshū, sliced (see recipe 7774)
• 4 scallions, green parts only, sliced on bias
• 2 soft-boiled eggs, marinated in soy and mirin, halved
• 40 g bamboo shoots, menma, marinated
• 20 g nori, toasted seaweed sheet, torn

Method

1. 1
   Blanch chicken bones and breast in boiling water for 3 minutes; drain and rinse under cold water; scrub away any residual blood or impurities with your fingers.
2. 2
   In a large stockpot, combine cleaned bones, chicken breast, onion, carrot, ginger, garlic, and scallion whites; cover with 3 liters cold water; bring slowly to a bare simmer over medium heat — do not allow a rolling boil to form, as this will cloud the broth.
3. 3
   Skim impurities from the surface with a fine-mesh skimmer every 5 minutes for the first 20 minutes; add sake.
4. 4
   Simmer undisturbed for 12–16 hours (overnight) at a bare bubble-per-second rate, maintaining water level with hot water as needed; the broth should become creamy white and rich from the emulsified fat and proteins.
5. 5
   Strain through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth, pressing the solids gently to extract all liquid; season with sea salt to taste; the broth should taste deeply of umami and poultry, not salty.
6. 6
   Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil; add ramen noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente; drain gently.
7. 7
   Warm four large bowls; add 30 ml tare and 3.75 ml aroma oil to each; ladle 250 ml hot broth into each bowl and whisk gently to combine and create a silky emulsion.
8. 8
   Top each bowl with cooked noodles, two slices chāshū, scallion greens, half a soft-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, and nori; serve immediately.