I DON’T PRETEND to be a ramen aficionado. That seems to be a full-time job these days. But I like ramen, and a home-made ramen rather than the packaged instant variety can still be a fairly quick meal. This miso-based version is goosed with the sublime meatiness and funky flavor of soy-glazed matsutake mushrooms. 

Unlike Sukiyaki Hotpot or Dobin Mushi, the purpose of the matsutake mushrooms in this dish is not to infuse the broth. Instead, the mushrooms are placed atop the other ingredients after being sautéed and are meant to be enjoyed for their meaty texture and singular flavor, which pairs very well with the rich, spicy soup. To be honest, I was bowled over by how perfectly the marriage of broth, mushroom, and noodle worked in this first attempt at a matsutake ramen. In the future I’ll try other styles of broth, but it’s hard to imagine anything better.

You can use any chili bean paste to spice up the broth, but I recommend an earthy Piixian douban from Sichuan Province (note, however, that Pixian douban is salty, so you likely won’t need to add additional salt). And while a decent store-bought variety of chicken stock is fine in a pinch, your own broth made from a leftover roast chicken carcass will always be better. 

1 or 2 matsutake buttons, sliced
soy sauce
1 quart chicken (or veg) stock
1 thumb ginger, peeled and finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 small shallot, finely diced
1/4 lb ground pork (or crumbled tofu)
1 tbsp chili bean paste
2 tbsp sesame oil
3-4 tbsp white miso paste
2 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar
salt and white pepper, to taste
10 oz fresh ramen noodles
2 green onions, sliced
2 eggs, soft boiled and halved
green vegetable (e.g., baby bok choy)
toasted sesame seeds

1. Make the soup. Over medium-low heat combine 1 tablespoon of sesame oil with diced ginger, garlic, and shallot. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about a minute. Add ground pork and raise heat to medium. Sauté until meat is no longer pink. Add miso paste, chili bean paste, and sugar, careful not to scorch. Add sake and chicken broth. Season and cover. Reduce heat to a low simmer.

2. While soup broth is simmering, glaze sliced matsutake buttons. Sauté in a pan over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil. After turning mushrooms once, add a splash of soy sauce (a tablespoon or two) and allow to reduce until the matsutake slices have a deep mahogany color. Turn again to fully coat with soy and remove.

3. Prepare ingredients in soup bowls. Boil ramen according to instructions and divide between bowls. Add baby bok choy (or other greens) to simmering soup pot and cook for a minute or two. Ladle broth into bowls along with greens. Top with glazed matsutake, soft-boiled eggs, and a garnish of green onion. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.