Authentic Kitakata Ramen Recipe Kitakata, Japan

To make the noodles, first, pour the water into a large container, then mix in the salt and the kansui. Add the Hokkaido flour to a large bowl. Gradually stir in the kansui mixture into the flour. The dough is mixed once it leaves no traces on the sides of the bowl. Transfer into a resealable plastic bag, close the bag, then press on the dough and flatten it with a rolling pin into a long rectangle. Keep at room temperature for five hours, then store in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Take out of the bag and place on a working surface. Cut in half along the length of the dough. Pass one half of the dough through a pasta machine to thin it out as much as possible. Dust the dough with potato starch, so it doesn’t stick. Run through a pasta machine maker to cut into strands. Take a handful of noodles, sprinkle them with potato starch, and scrunch them with your hand to make them curly. Once you’ve done all the noodles, refrigerate for 2 days.

Add all the ingredients for the sauce to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then take off the heat. Let cool down, then cover with cling film and leave to rest overnight. The following day, strain the sauce.

To make the chashu pork, add all the ingredients for the chashu to a resealable bag. Rub the pork with the marinade, then leave to marinate in the marinade for 2 hours. Cover the baking tray with aluminum foil, take the pork belly out of the bag, and place it skin-side down onto a baking tray. Bake in a 180°C/350°F oven for 20 minutes. Turn the pork over and bake for another 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and wrap in aluminum foil. Let cool completely, then slice into thin slices.

To make the oil, add the chicken skin to a pan set over low heat. Sauté the skin, and when the skin is crispy and rendered, take the skin out of the pan. Transfer the oil into a saucepan, then add the onion, the garlic, and a handful of niboshi. Cook over low heat until the onions are golden brown and fragrant. Strain and let cool completely.

To make the soup, pour the water into a large pot (5L/5.3qt pot), then add the whole chicken. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove any scum from the surface. Once boiling, set the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours. Then, add the onion cut up into quarters or thirds, the shiitake mushrooms, the garlic cloves, the ground pork, and the niboshi. Simmer for another hour. Finally, strain the soup.

To assemble a portion, add 180g/6.3 oz noodles to boiling water, then boil for five minutes. Add 35 ml/ 1 oz of ramen sauce to a bowl, together with ½ tbsp ramen oil and 300 ml/ 10 oz of soup. Mix the boiled noodles into the soup, top with slices of chashu, shironegi, a slice of naruto, two ajitama egg halves, and menma.