Ramen as we all know it’s a Japanese dish but has its roots in China, arriving in Japan within the nineteenth century with Chinese immigrants. Once fundamental sustenance for this marginalised group, ramen has grown to turn into an international culinary sensation akin to sushi. And rightfully so: it’s affordable, versatile and nourishing – a dish that’s inconceivable to not love.

Why ramen is great for a celebrationIt’s a combine-and-match sharing feast and everything may be prepped ahead. Japanese ramen has a lot of regional variations, made with different stocks and toppings depending on its origin. See scrumptious. kitchen to read extra, then put together as most of the tasty toppings as you fancy – or devise your own.

We went for a miso-based mostly inventory as a result of it’s easy and fast to make, plus it’s appropriate for vegans and vegetarians. Once performed, it’s just a matter of cooking the noodles and assembling the toppings. All the things besides the noodles can be made the day before – keep the objects covered separately in the fridge and reheat, both on the hob or within the oven, to serve.The rooster and mushrooms may be plunged rapidly into the broth to heat through (as long are there aren’t any vegetarians at the table), then eliminated with a slotted spoon and put in separate bowls for people to assist themselves.

How you can serve ramenPut the miso broth and ramen noodles on the desk, chopsticks and spoons on the ready, and encourage your visitors to dig in and make their own ramen creation, adding whichever toppings they fancy.

The (vegan) ramen base recipe

The base

Miso stock

Serves 6. Ready in 10 min

– 30g dried shiitake mushrooms (from Tesco and Sainsbury’s)

– 2 litres good quality recent vegetable stock

– 5-6 tbsp brown rice miso paste (we used Clearspring, from Waitrose) or crimson miso paste

– 2 tbsp soy sauce

– Thumb-measurement piece fresh ginger, grated

1. Put the dried mushrooms in a heatproof bowl and pour over freshly boiled water to cover. Put aside for 20 minutes to soften.

2. In a big stockpot, combine the inventory with the miso paste, soy sauce and ginger. Whisk collectively, then deliver to a gentle simmer over a low-medium heat and season to taste.

3. Take away the mushrooms, roughly chop and switch to a bowl (serve these as a topping). Pour the soaking liquid by means of a nice sieve into the miso inventory, discarding any grit.

4. Keep the miso stock over a really low heat until able to serve, or cool, cowl and chill, then reheat the next day. Deliver the pot to the desk with a ladle for everyone to dig in.

THE NOODLES

Ramen noodlesServes 6. Arms-on time 10 min

We used one 5 x 200g pack Yutaka frozen ramen noodles, obtainable from ocado.com, but use any model (fresh or 二郎系ラーメン 太子 frozen) you want. If you can’t get hold of ramen noodles, use dried egg noodles, allowing one nest (50-60g) per particular person. Cook according to the packet instructions and divide among bowls, prepared for the inventory and toppings.

Mix-AND-MATCH TOPPINGS

Honey and sriracha candy potatoServes 6. Hands-on time 10 min, oven time 35-40 min

Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gasoline 6. Reduce 2 candy potatoes into 1cm thick slices, then spread in a single layer on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Brush with vegetable oil and roast for 20 minutes, turning halfway by.

Mix together three tbsp sriracha chilli sauce, three tbsp soy sauce, 1½ tbsp runny honey and 1½ tbsp vegetable oil till clean. Brush over the candy potato and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Flip the slices over, brush with the remaining sriracha mix and roast for 5-10 minutes till caramelised.

Switch the candy potato to a plate (or chill, lined, then reheat in a medium oven to serve).

Poached henServes 6. Arms-on time 5 min, simmering time 10-12 min

Gently poach 2 free-vary skinless rooster breasts in the miso inventory for 10-12 minutes till cooked via. Switch to a board and shred with 2 forks. In case you have vegetarian visitors, poach the chicken in a pan of water as an alternative, so the stock stays vegetarian. Switch to a small serving bowl (or chill, coated, and reheat to serve).

Miso bacon

Serves 6. Palms-on time 20 min

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a big frying pan over a medium heat. Add 8 finely sliced free-vary smoked bacon rashers and fry gently for 6-8 minutes, so the bacon is crisp.

Add 1 finely chopped pink onion to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes till the onion is smooth.

Add 2 tbsp miso paste, 2 tsp sesame seeds and ½ tsp dried chilli flakes to the pan and stir collectively. Switch to a serving bowl (or chill, lined, and reheat to serve).

Fried sweetcorn and spring onion

Serves 6. Hands-on time 15 min

Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium-excessive heat. Add the drained kernels from a 360g tin sweetcorn to the pan and fry for 8-10 minutes until evenly charred (be careful as they might spit). Switch to a serving bowl and stir in 4 finely sliced spring onions (or chill, coated, and reheat to serve).

Garlic chips

Serves 6. Palms-on time 10 min

Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add 5 very finely sliced garlic cloves and cook gently, turning usually, until simply golden. Watch them like a hawk as they burn simply. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain. Put the garlic chips ina serving bowl (or chill, covered, and bring back to room temperature to serve).