Soup

Reindeer miso ramen

Reindeer shanks roasted dark and simmered for hours into a deep broth, finished with miso and butter and poured over noodles with a soft egg on top.

Instructions

Heat the oven to 200°C (400°F) and spread the shanks, quartered onion and smashed garlic on a baking sheet.
Roast them 25 minutes, turning halfway, until deeply browned and caramelised. Everything the broth becomes starts here, so don't pull them out pale.
Move the roasted shanks, onion and garlic to a large pot with the chicken stock, dashi and soy sauce.
Bring it to a boil, then drop it straight to a bare simmer. Cover and let it go at least 4 hours, overnight if you can, skimming the foam off now and then.
Strain the broth through a fine sieve and return the clear liquid to the pot.
Stir in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Pull the meat off the roasted shanks, shred or cube it, and keep the bones back if you want them on the plate. Keep the broth warm over low heat.
Cook the noodles until al dente and divide them between four deep bowls.
Whisk the miso paste with about a cup of the hot broth until it dissolves, then pour it back in and ladle the broth over the noodles. Warm the sliced reindeer through in the hot broth and pile it on with the shredded shank meat, corn, bamboo shoots and scallions. A soft-boiled egg on each bowl, and straight to the table.

Tips

Ask your butcher for extra reindeer bones and roast them alongside the shanks. More bone, more body.
If the dashi tastes too strong for you, use kombu-steeped water instead.

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