Shrimp Ramen

Ingredients

• 1000 ml Clear chicken stock
• 1 tsp Dashi powder or kombu (optional)
• 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Mirin
• 0.5 tsp Salt
• 200 g Dried thin wavy ramen noodles
• 300 g Large shrimp / prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp Sesame oil (for searing shrimp)
• 1 pinch Salt and pepper for shrimp
• 2 whole Eggs
• 80 g Snow peas, trimmed
• 3 stalks Spring onions / scallions, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 tsp Black sesame seeds

Instructions

1. 01

   Bring a small saucepan of water to a full rolling boil. Gently lower eggs in with a spoon. Cook for exactly 7 minutes — this gives a medium-soft yolk: golden-orange, fully set but slightly jammy and domed, not runny and not chalky. Transfer immediately to ice water. Cool 5 minutes then peel carefully.

2. 02

   Pour chicken stock into a saucepan over medium heat. Add dashi powder or kombu if using. Bring to a gentle simmer — not a hard boil. Add soy sauce and mirin. Taste and adjust salt. The finished broth should be pale golden and clear, lightly savory with a clean finish. Keep on lowest heat while you prepare toppings.

3. 03

   Bring salted water to a boil. Add snow peas and blanch 45 seconds — they should be vivid green and still snap-crisp. Do not overcook. Drain and immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking and lock in the bright green colour. Drain and pat dry.

4. 04

   Cook ramen noodles per packet — usually 2–3 minutes in boiling water. Drain well. Divide between two wide, deep white bowls. Coil noodles in the centre-left of each bowl.

5. 05

   Pat shrimp completely dry — moisture prevents searing. Season with salt and pepper. Heat sesame oil in a pan over high heat until just smoking. Add shrimp in a single layer. Sear without moving for 60–90 seconds until the underside is pink-orange and lightly golden. Flip and cook 45 more seconds. Shrimp should curve into a C-shape — tight O-shape means overcooked. Remove immediately.

6. 06

   Ladle hot broth over the noodles, filling nearly to the rim. Arrange toppings in distinct clusters: place seared shrimp in the right half of the bowl (5–6 pieces), snow peas in the upper section, and the two egg halves yolk-side up in the left-centre. Scatter sliced scallion rounds in the gaps. Finish with a generous scatter of black sesame seeds over the shrimp and peas. Serve immediately.