Ramen at home

At Kinton Ramen, big vats of chicken and pork stock bubble magically in the kitchen.

General manager Aki Urata lovingly details how to mix whole chickens, chicken wings, chicken feet, potatoes, ginger, garlic and dashi and simmer for upwards of six hours for its noodle soups.

Instead of adding salt to the stock, the restaurant makes “shio” from tamari, sake, mirin, sea salt, shiitake mushrooms and dashi.

It cooks its chicken breast sous vide and, of course, makes its own noodles.

Kinton Ramen was at Taste of Toronto this summer serving its popular chicken spicy jalapeno ramen. They invited me into their kitchen to see how the dish is made.

Chicken Spicy Jalapeno Ramen

Star Tested A homestyle take on Kinton Ramen’s dish. Look for fresh, frozen and dried ramen at Asian supermarkets such as T&T, or in Japanese grocers such as J-Town ( jtown.ca). If you buy instant ramen, use the noodles and toss the MSG-laden seasoning packs. Buy or make the best chicken stock you can — this dish depends on it. I poached my chicken.

Jalapeno Paste:

1 large jalapeno, stemmed, seeded if desired, chopped 1 tbsp (15 mL) canola oil Pinch kosher salt, or to taste Ramen Per Serving: 2 cups (500 mL) boiling chicken

stock

1tsp (15 mL) each: tamari, mirin, sake 1 tsp (5 mL) jalapeno paste, or more

to taste

About 4 oz (110 g) fresh, frozen or dried thin ramen noodles, cooked as per package instructions Toppings Per Serving: 2 thick slices cooked chicken breast

2 tbsp (30 mL) cooked ground

chicken

1 heaping tbsp (15 mL) minced white

onion

1 heaping tbsp (15 mL) thinly sliced green onions

2 thin, round jalapeno slices with seeds

2 snack-size pieces roasted seaweed

/nori (about 4 inches/10 cm square) For jalapeno paste, in mini food processor, combine jalapeno, oil and salt. Purée. Refrigerate in sealed container.

For ramen, put hot soup in large, deep bowl.

Stir in tamari, mirin, sake and jalapeno paste. Add cooked noodles, stir with chopsticks.

Arrange toppings in small piles on top of ramen, starting with chicken breast slices, ground chicken, white onion, green onion and jalapeno slices. Stick seaweed upright along edge of bowl.

To eat, taste soup with spoon, then use chopsticks to thoroughly mix in toppings.

Makes 1. jbain@thestar.ca

CARLOS OSORIO PHOTOS/TORONTO STAR At Kinton Ramen on Bloor St. W., general manager Aki Urata, left, and cook Ryohei Ishida have fun preparing three bowls of spicy jalapeno chicken ramen.

You can make a home-style version of Kinton Ramen’s spicy jalapeno chicken ramen.