THE JOURNAL

Photograph courtesy of Bone Daddies
If you’re a fan of ramen and you live in London, it’s likely you’ll be well acquainted with Bone Daddies. If this is the case, and you happen to live on the east side of town, we have some rather good news for you. Chef proprietor Mr Ross Shonhan is about to open an outpost in The Bower development, Old Street (we have it on good faith it will be this Friday), meaning you have even less distance to travel for his delicious Japanese food. If you’re not local to London, or you simply want to up your culinary game, Mr Shonhan has supplied the recipe to his famous spicy miso ramen so you can eat it at home. Enjoy. Or should we say: itadakimasu.

For the spicy miso tare:
- 150g white miso
- 50g sweet white miso
- 50g red miso
- 40g regular soy sauce
- 40g mirin (Japanese sweet cooking wine)
- 15g ginger
- 25g spring onion
- 50g mixed chilli, fresh and dried – as hot as you dare!
For the eggs:
- 1l regular soy sauce
- 1l water
- 100g sugar
- 4 soft-boiled eggs, peeled
For the bamboo:
- 200g canned bamboo, rinsed and drained (or vacuum-packed cooked bamboo)
- 5g sesame oil
- 100g regular soy sauce
- 10g sugar
- A pinch or two of chilli flakes, to taste
To finish:
- 1.25 litres strained hot stock
- 400g slow-cooked pork – neck or shoulder works well
- 400g good-quality fresh ramen noodles (at a pinch, you could use another type of noodle)
- 200g bean sprouts, blanched
- 100g sliced spring onion
- 200g pan-fried padron peppers
- 4 tbsp sesame oil
Method:
First, marinate the eggs and cook the pork. Do this the night before for the best results. Mix together the soy, water and sugar, and measure out 200ml to marinate the eggs in. Overnight if possible, but for at least three to four hours.
Next, place the pork in a casserole dish and cover with the remaining egg marinade. Bring to a gentle simmer, put the lid on, and roast in the oven at 160ºC/Gas Mark 3 until tender (about 2-3 hours). Top up with water if required. Allow to cool in the cooking liquid and then wrap in cling film and refrigerate.
For the spicy miso sauce, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
Stir fry the bamboo in the sesame oil until dry, add the other ingredients and cook until dry.
Have all the ingredients laid out, so you can work quickly. Have one pot ready with the hot stock and another with boiling water, for cooking the noodles.
Divide the spicy miso sauce between the four bowls and then divide the stock equally on top. Whisk until the tare has blended into the stock, to ensure an even taste.
Once the wrapped pork has cooled completely, slice it thickly, and then remove the cling film.
Cook the noodles to the texture you like, drain and divide between the four bowls. Top with bean sprouts, bamboo, marinated egg, a few slices of the slow-cooked pork, fried padron peppers, sliced spring onion and a tablespoon of chilli oil on top.