Shio Ramen
Littleneck Clams, House Noodles, Pork Chashu, Menma, Shio Tare, Scallions, Clam Salt
Chef Scott LaChapelle of Pickerel | Providence, RI
Adapted by StarChefs | august 2023
INGREDIENTS
Chicken Stock:
Chicken backs and feet, cleaned
Scallion
Ginger
Garlic
Napa cabbage
Clam Stock:
Littleneck clams, cleaned
Ramen Noodles:
Yield: 5 portions
6 grams kansui
5 grams kosher salt
20 grams whole egg
350 grams bread flour
135 grams udon flour
10 grams whole wheat flour, sifted
5 grams tapioca flour
Pork Belly Chashu:
10 to 14 pounds pork belly, quartered and trussed
750 grams dark shoyu
750 grams light shoyu
300 grams mirin
60 grams brown sugar
Minced garlic
Green onion trimmings
Minced ginger
Pork Shoulder Chashu:
Pork butt, trussed
Salt
Sugar
Menma:
1 piece menma, rinsed
100 grams light shoyu
25 grams dark shoyu
75 grams brown sugar
20 grams mirin
8 grams kombu
Shio Tare:
750 grams reduced mirin
1.6 kilograms reduced sake
300 grams shiro shoyu
35 grams shiitake mushrooms
80 grams ma kombu
35 grams dried flying fish
35 grams atsukezuri
730 grams sea salt
5 grams cider vinegar
Aroma Oil:
200 milliliters neutral oil
20 grams diced white onion
20 grams minced garlic
20 grams minced ginger
Clam Salt:
Sea salt
To Assemble and Serve:
Chopped scallion whites
METHOD
For the Chicken Stock:
Weigh the chicken backs and feet. Place 2 parts chicken backs and 1 part chicken feet into a stock pot. Cover with 1½ parts water by the weight of the chicken. Cook over high heat, until scum starts to surface and the mixture has reached approximately 150°F. Skim stock every 10 minutes, making sure to skim as much scum as possible before the fat begins to render. When fat has started to rise to the surface, stir the entire pot. Skim the stock once more. Bring mixture to 200°F and cook 5 hours. Be sure to skim and reserve the chicken fat no more than 2 hours into cooking. Stir in scallion, ginger, and garlic. Cook additional 1 hour. Stir in cabbage, then cook additional 15 minutes. Strain, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate.
For the Clam Stock:
Place clams in a large stockpot and fully submerge in cold water. Cover pot and let sit 30 minutes. Strain, then rinse clams. Transfer clams back to the pot and add water until just covered. Place pot over medium heat and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming any scum that rises to the surface. The water should never exceed 200ºF. Once clams have fully opened, cover pot and remove from heat. Let sit additional 30 minutes. Strain, reserving stock and clam bellies separately.
For the Ramen Noodles:
Place 165 grams cold water in a large mixing bowl. Slowly stream in kansui and whisk until water is clear. Stir in salt and egg until fully incorporated. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine all flours. Slowly stream in a third of the egg mixture. Mix 2 minutes on low speed, or until dough feels evenly hydrated. Add in another third of the egg mixture and mix an additional 2 minutes, breaking up any large clumps. The texture should resemble wet sand. Pour in the final third of the egg mixture and mix additional 2 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Transfer dough to a ramen noodle machine and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The length of each noodle should be no longer than 11 inches. Separate noodles into 130-gram portions. Set aside.
For the Pork Belly Chashu:
In a stockpot over medium-high heat, bring 3 liters water to a boil. In a separate pot over medium-high heat, bring shoyu, mirin, sugar, garlic, ginger, and green onions to a boil. Add pork to the boiling water and cook 8 minutes. Using tongs, remove pork and transfer to the pot with the shoyu mixture. Cook additional 5 minutes. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Cook 5 hours, keeping the liquid at approximately 175°F. Let cool, reserving pork and liquid separately. Slice pork belly and reserve.
For the Pork Shoulder Chashu:
Place pork in a resealable plastic bag. Weigh. In a large mixing bowl, combine fifty percent of water by weight of pork, 2½ percent salt by weight of pork, and 2½ percent sugar by weight of pork. Stir until salt and sugar have dissolved. Pour brine into the bag with the pork and let brine at least 6 hours. In a stockpot over medium heat, place brined pork. Cover with reserved Pork Belly Chashu cooking liquid. Cook until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°F. Keep the internal temperature of the pork at 145°F for 30 minutes. Place pork into an ice bath and chill completely before slicing on a deli slicer into 1½-millimeters thick slices. Set aside.
For the Menma:
Place menma in a nonreactive container. Set aside. In a saucepan over medium-hight heat, bring shoyu, mirin, and 300 grams water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Once the temperature of the liquid reaches 200°F, add kombu. Let steep 15 minutes. Pour mixture over the menma, then refrigerate overnight.
For the Shio Tare:
In a nonreactive container, combine mirin, sake, shoyu, mushrooms, kombu, and 1 kilogram water. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, transfer mixture to a saucepan over medium heat and cook until mixture reaches 140°F. Maintain temperature 30 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard kombu and mushrooms. Cook until mixture reaches 176°F, then add flying fish and atsukezuri. Remove from heat and let steep 1 hour. Strain, then slowly whisk in salt and vinegar. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate.
For the Aroma Oil:
In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook all ingredients until onions are soft and translucent. Increase heat to medium-high and lightly fry until golden brown. Strain and discard solids. Let cool. Transfer oil to a squeeze bottle and refrigerate.
For the Clam Salt:
Heat a dehydrator to 155°F. Dehydrate reserved clam bellies 10 to 14 hours, allowing just a small amount of moisture to remain. Transfer clams to a Vitamix blender and blend until a fine powder is achieved. Strain powder and weigh. Mix in 1 part salt to 2 parts clam powder. Blend once more until incorporated. Transfer to an airtight container and reserve.
To Assemble and Serve:
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring 200 milliliters Clam Stock and 100 milliliters Chicken Stock to a gentle simmer. Stir in 5 milliliters reserved chicken fat. In a separate pot, cook 130 grams Ramen Noodles until just al dente. In a warm serving bowl, spoon desired amount of Shio Tare and 5 milliliters Aroma Oil. Spoon warmed Clam and Chicken Stock into the serving bowl. Remove Ramen Noodles from cooking water and gently shake off excess water. Place in serving bowl. Top with 1 slice Pork Shoulder Chashu, 1 slice Pork Belly Chashu, and 1 piece Menma. Garnish with scallion whites and a dusting of Clam Salt.
