A simple broth such as this Basic Clear Chicken Soup paired with a good tare sets the foundation for a great bowl of ramen. This is Part 5 of the Ramen At Home series for Traditional Shoyu Ramen.
A basic clear soup is so simple yet such an important component in any ramen bowl. The clear soup paired with a good tare is what makes a bowl of ramen.
Even if you have the most amazing toppings for your ramen, it will not be complete without a good broth.
Since the tare provides a good amount of flavor and salt, the Basic Clear Chicken Soup is very simple and straightforward yet umami-rich from the konbu and shiitake mushroom dashi.
This Basic Clear Chicken Soup recipe is from the "Ramen at Home" cookbook by Brian MacDuckston of ramenadventures.com, and Part Five of a six-part series featuring his Traditional Shoyu Ramen recipe.
Here are the links to the rest of the posts in this series:
- Shoyu Tare
- Chicken Chashu
- Menma (Seasoned Bamboo Shoots)
- Half-Boiled Ajitama (Seasoned Eggs)
- TRADITIONAL SHOYU RAMEN
How to Make Basic Clear Chicken Soup for Ramen
The night before you boil the Clear Chicken Soup, soak 1 oz of dried konbu and 1 large dried shiitake mushroom in 3 quarts (12 cups) of water in a large stockpot to make a simple dashi.
When you are ready to make the soup, boil enough water in a separate stockpot to submerge 2 pounds of chicken parts and/or bones. Rinse the chicken, then plunge them in the water for a few seconds.
This will clean the chicken, which means there will be a lot less scum to skim while it cooks.
Remove the chicken and place it in the pot of dashi (with the soaked konbu and shiitake mushroom).
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Turn the heat to high, and keep an eye on the broth as the temperature rises. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface using a soup skimmer.
Just before the soup starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer.
Use a long-handled slotted spoon or a pair of long kitchen tongs to remove the konbu and shiitake mushroom.
Add 1 tablespoon of white wine. This might not seem like much, but the white wine will help mellow out the meaty, earthy chicken flavor, yielding a mellower broth.
Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 4 hours.
Strain the soup into a container, then reheat as necessary for each bowl of ramen.
Pair the clear chicken soup with your favorite tare to make your ramen of choice.
Basic Clear Chicken Soup
Ingredients
- 1 oz dried konbu
- 1 dried shiitake mushroom about 1 oz
- 3 quarts water
- 2 lbs chicken parts and/or bones
- 1 tablespoon dry white wine
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, soak the konbu and shiitake in the water overnight to make a simple dashi.
- In a separate large pot, boil enough water to submerge the chicken. Rinse the chicken parts, then plunge them into the boiling water for about 3 seconds. (This essentially cleans the bird, and will mean a lot less scum to skim when cooking the broth). Remove the chicken and place it in the pot of dashi.
- Turn the heat to high, and keep an eye on the broth while the temperature rises. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Just before the soup begins boiling, lower the heat to a simmer.
- Using a long-handle slotted spoon or kitchen tongs, remove the konbu and shiitake mushroom. Add the white wine.
- Simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 4 hours.
- Strain the soup into a container, then reheat as necessary for each bowl of ramen.
Nutrition
[…] 1/2 a cup of the Shoyu Tare and 5 cups of the Basic Clear Chicken Soup in a medium saucepan. Mix and bring to a simmer over low […]