Tori Paitan White Chicken Broth Ramen

Ingredients

• For the paitan broth
• 2 kg chicken parts (carcasses, backs, feet, and wings), fully thawed; feet maximise collagen yield
• 4 litres cold water, plus extra to top up during boiling
• 40 g fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 negi (Japanese long onion), cut into 5 cm lengths
• 10 g kombu, wiped clean
• 100 ml sake
• For the shio tare
• 60 g fine sea salt
• 20 ml sake
• 10 ml mirin
• 5 ml yuzu juice, freshly squeezed
• To finish
• 40 g unsalted butter, 10 g per litre of finished broth
• To serve
• 400 g fresh ramen noodles, thin, straight; cooked per packet instruction
• 4 soft-boiled eggs, halved
• 2 negi (Japanese long onion), finely sliced, to garnish

Method

1. 1
   Place all chicken parts in a large stockpot and cover with cold water. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat. Boil for 3 minutes — the water will turn grey and foam heavily. Drain completely, discard the blanching water, and rinse each piece under cold running water, removing any visible blood or coagulated protein. The parts should be clean and pale before proceeding.
2. 2
   Return the blanched chicken parts to the clean pot. Add 4 litres of cold water, the sliced ginger, negi lengths, and kombu. Pour in 100 ml sake. Bring to a full rolling boil over high heat. This is where the dish lives or dies: maintain a vigorous, aggressive boil — not a simmer, not a gentle bubble, but a churning, turbulent boil — for the full 4–6 hours. The agitation is the mechanism by which fat droplets and dissolved gelatin are forced into permanent emulsified suspension, producing the defining opaque white liquid of paitan. A dropped simmer at any stage will allow the emulsion to break and produce clear broth. Top up with boiling water as needed to maintain the liquid level above the bones.
3. 3
   After 4–6 hours, the broth will be opaque white and velvety, coating the back of a ladle. Remove from heat. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing lightly on the solids. Discard the spent bones and aromatics. The finished broth should hold its white opacity as it settles — if it is clear or pale gold, emulsification was insufficient.
4. 4
   Prepare the shio tare. Combine the fine sea salt, sake, and mirin in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until the salt has fully dissolved and the alcohol has cooked off — approximately 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the yuzu juice. The tare should smell clean, saline, and faintly citrus-bright.
5. 5
   Return the strained broth to a clean pot and bring back to a gentle boil. Whisk in the butter (10 g per litre of broth) until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust salt confidence: tori paitan's delicate chicken character requires assertive seasoning — flat or tentative salting will produce a broth that tastes textural but empty. Season with shio tare to taste, beginning with 15 ml per bowl and adjusting.
6. 6
   Cook the ramen noodles in a separate pot of boiling unsalted water per the packet instruction. Drain and divide among four warmed bowls. Ladle approximately 350–400 ml of hot tori paitan broth over each portion. Finish with a halved soft-boiled egg and finely sliced negi. Serve immediately — paitan broth cools and thickens quickly as its gelatin content is high.