Shōyu Ramen

:) Happy smile after I gulped down a bowl of ramen. It was already on my cooking list since the beginning of this month. Coincidently, saw the ramen sold at the Japanese Fair at Takashimaya last week and it came with the sauce. Two days of preparation even though I don't have to cook my own broth. For those who don't normally cook, might think this is a bit insane. For me who likes to cook, I think this ramen is insanely good. :)


Recipe for the Shoyu Ramen:


a pack of ramen comes with the sauce
egg
bamboo shoots
seaweed
spring onion (chopped)
pork belly about 4x4inches
twine
a cup of shoyu
half cup of sake
half cup mirin
3 cups of water
few dashes pepper
5 cloves garlic
half tsp of sugar
half tsp of salt
a stalk of spring onion
5 slices of ginger


Prepare the pork belly by rolling it tight and tie it up with twine. It's quite hard to estimate for one portion as it needs to be at least certain size to roll up. For the size of 4x4, it is enough for two shares.


Combine the shoyu, water, mirin, sake, pepper, a stalk of spring onion and ginger into a pot. Put the pork belly into the sauce and keep it there for at least 40 minutes to an hour (minimum heat). Reserve the sauce for bamboo shoots and egg.


For the bamboo shoots, I just use the can one which easily available from supermarket. Cook them in the sauce for at least 15 minutes. Cool down the sauce and keep it aside


Get ready a pot of water and bring it to boil, put the egg(from fridge) into the boiling water and turn down the heat to minimum . Keep the eggs there for exactly 6.30 minutes, we don't want the yolk to be cooked. Put the egg into a pot of cold water once it's done. Soak the egg for at least 5 minutes.


Once the sauce is cooled down, put the pork belly, bamboo shoots and egg into the sauce and keep it in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.


Boil the water at high heat and once it boiled, put in the noodles for 1.30 minutes, put them into cold water, followed by hot water, drained and set aside.


Cook the broth following the instructions on packet. Bring the egg into room temperature before served. Heat up the sauce and put the pork belly and bamboo shoots in just for the purpose of heat them up. Sliced the pork and garnish the ramen with spring onions and seaweed.


*Amount of water that add into the sauce will depends on your pot. The water should be slightly cover up the pork belly or almost same level.