Japanese🥣 Soups & stews

Basic Clear Ramen Broth (Double Stock Method)

Name: Basic Clear Ramen Broth (Double Stock Method)
Total time: 6 h
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: ~500 g pork neck and backbone; ~500 g pork hind leg; 700 g pork trotters; ~6 chicken feet; ~1 old chicken; 1 brown onion; 1 garlic; ~4 tbsp ginger; ~2 carrot; ~10 g kombu; ~15 g katsuobushi; 12 cups water

⏱ 360 min

A clear ramen broth made using the double stock method—preparing meat and seafood stocks separately before combining them. This technique maintains clarity while developing deep umami flavor, forming the foundation of authentic ramen.

Adapted from a video by Adam Liaw

RAMEN SCHOOL #1 | How to Make Basic Ramen Broth | Chintan Clear Soup

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

pork neck and backbone~500 gest.
pork hind leg~500 gest.
pork trottersask butcher to cut in half to extract flavor700 g
chicken feetremove toenails~6est.
old chickenover 45-50 days old, tough for roasting but very flavorful~1est.
brown onionleave skin on, cut in half, provides light brown color1
garlicwhole head, cut in half to release aroma

Steps

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1
Prepare the meat ingredients: remove toenails from chicken feet, cut the old chicken into smaller pieces to facilitate flavor extraction.
2
Prepare vegetables and aromatics: halve the onion with skin on, cut whole garlic head in half, slice ginger thickly, and remove the core from carrot.
3
Prepare the meat stock: place all meat, bones, and vegetables into a large pot and cover with about 9 liters of cold water. Place on stove to begin heating.
4
Control heat to maintain a very low simmer with just one bubble breaking the surface every couple of seconds. High heat and vigorous boiling will emulsify fat molecules and cloud the broth.
5
Prepare the seafood stock: place kombu in cold water and heat slowly over low heat. When a thumbnail pressed into the kombu leaves an imprint, it has extracted fully and should be removed.
6
Cook the bonito: after removing the kombu, bring the seafood stock to a boil, add the katsuobushi for 2 seconds, then turn off heat and let steep for about 30 minutes.
7
Skim impurities: after the meat stock has been cooking for about 1 hour, skim off the foam of protein and blood that rises to the surface with a fine strainer.
8
Add vegetables: once scum is removed from the meat stock, add the prepared onion, garlic, ginger, and carrot, and continue cooking at very low heat.
9
Measure and monitor: use a metal ruler to periodically measure the liquid level to track evaporation and control concentration. The entire process takes about 6 hours; keep notes to enable reproduction and improvement.
10
Strain the stocks: once both the meat and seafood stocks are cooked, strain each through a fine sieve. Press the solids through to extract maximum flavor, though this may slightly reduce clarity.
11
Combine the stocks: mix the strained meat stock and seafood stock together to create the double stock. The broth can be frozen for later use.

Basic Clear Ramen Broth (Double Stock Method)

Ingredients

Steps

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