3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skin-on or off, cut from a rotisserie works too!)
kosher salt and black pepper
1 Tb butter
2 tsp sesame oil (you can use any cooking oil in case of allergies)
a 2-3 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into sticks (kinda julienned)
3-4 cloves fresh garlic, sliced
1 leek, rinsed, trimmed, and chopped coarsely
6 Tb low-sodium soy sauce (must be low-sodium! Full-sodium will be WAY too salty!)
6 Tb mirin
8 cups rich chicken stock
Soft-boiled eggs (recipe below)
1 package of noodles per person
optional: fresh jalapeño slices, scallions, mushrooms, red chili paste, for serving
First, start your broth: Heat the sesame oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add the garlic and ginger, and cook for a few minutes until softened and browned. Usually you'd stick to a nice golden brown, but here you want deep brown. Almost burned. You're straining these bits out, so don't worry. That extra roasted-ness adds awesome depth to this broth! Once you've got some nice chocolate-brown edges on those leeks and things, add the soy sauce and mirin, and stir to combine. Cook for another minute or so, till it thickens just a bit. Add the stock, cover, and bring to boil. Lower to a simmer while you prepare the rest of your ramen elements!
Next, cook the chicken: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Pat your chicken dry with a paper towel and generously season with salt and pepper. (Table salt is fine, but I think kosher salt adds a little something extra) Melt the butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, (if you've got skin) and cook until nicely browned and releases easily from the pan, about 5-7 minutes. Flip the chicken over and cook for another 4-5 minutes, until browned on the other side. Transfer the skillet with the chicken to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven, transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil until ready to serve.
While your chicken is in the oven, make the soft-boiled eggs: Fill a smallish pot with enough water to cover the eggs, (no eggs in there yet though!) and bring to a boil. Carefully lower the eggs (still cold from the fridge) into the boiling water, and let simmer for 7-8 minutes. You will probably have to play with this just a bit, depending on elevation and such. I'm at a high elevation, and the eggs in my pictures are 8 minute eggs, with a fully cooked white and a softer yolk.
While your eggs are boiling, fill a large bowl with ice water. When your timer is done, transfer the eggs to the ice bath immediately to stop the cooking process. Wait at least 5 minutes, or until ready to serve, then carefully peel each egg and slice it in half, setting on top of your bowl of ramen.
You're just about ready to assemble your ramen bowls. Your chicken is out of the oven and resting, your eggs are sitting in ice water, hopefully you've chopped up any extra toppings you desire, and your broth has been simmering away this whole time. Strain the solids out of your broth, slice up that chicken, and let's assemble!
Prepare your noodles! You can literally just use those handy little servings of packaged ramen noodles and toss the seasoning packets, or you can search out more authentic noodles. Either way, boil your noodles according to package directions. I often do this in the same pot I cooked my eggs in; saves time and dishes! Place each serving of prepared noodles in a bowl. Spoon desired amount of broth over each serving of noodles. Top with sliced chicken, a soft-boiled egg, scallions, etc, and serve immediately! The flavors are best when eaten nice and hot!