Kumamoto ramen

Step 1: Put 2 ¼ lb pork bones (trotters, split, and neck bones) and 1 ⅛ lb chicken wings or carcass in your largest pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil over high heat. Boil for 10 minutes; a thick grey scum will rise.

Step 2: Drain into a colander and rinse every bone under cold water, scrubbing off the dark scum and any blood. Wash out the pot.

Step 3: Return the bones to the clean pot with 12 ½ cups water. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat and keep it boiling hard, lid off, topping up with boiling water to keep the bones covered. Common mistake: letting the pot only simmer; the rolling boil is what breaks down the fat and collagen and turns the broth cloudy and rich.

Step 4: Tie 1 ⅛ lb boneless pork shoulder or belly in a tight roll if the butcher has not, and lower it into the boiling broth. Turn the heat down to a steady boil.

Step 5: After 60 minutes, lift out the pork. It should be tender when pierced with a skewer and at least 145°F/145 °F in the centre. Put it in a small container or zip bag.

Step 6: Add 1 onion, 1 oz ginger, 1 head garlic and 2 leek or spring onion green tops to the broth and keep boiling for 30 minutes more.

Step 7: Meanwhile, heat ¼ cup soy sauce, 3 tbsp mirin and 1 tbsp sugar in a small pan just until the sugar dissolves. Pour it over the warm pork and leave to marinate, turning now and then, while the broth finishes. Mirin contains a little alcohol; for an alcohol-free marinade use 1 tbsp more sugar and 2 tbsp water instead.

Step 8: Bring a pan of water to the boil, lower in 4 eggs and boil for 6 and a half minutes for jammy yolks. Cool in iced water, peel and put them in with the pork and its marinade.

Step 9: For the garlic chips, put 4 cloves garlic and 3 tbsp of the 6 tbsp vegetable oil in a small cold frying pan. Heat over medium-low, stirring, until the slices are pale gold, then lift them onto kitchen paper; they crisp as they cool. Keep the oil.

Step 10: For the mayu, add 8 cloves garlic and the rest of the vegetable oil to the garlic-chip oil. Cook over low heat, stirring all the time, as it turns gold, then brown, then black, about 15 minutes.

Step 11: Take the mayu off the heat, stir in 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil and leave to cool. It should smell deeply roasted and bittersweet, not sharp and acrid; if it smells like burnt toast, start again. Blend or crush to a smooth black oil.

Step 12: Strain the broth through a fine sieve and skim off some of the surface fat, leaving a thin layer. You should have about 1.6 litres; top up with water or boil down to get there. Keep it hot.

Step 13: Slice the chashu thinly. Put ½ tsp 2 tsp salt and 2 tsp 3 tbsp light soy sauce (usukuchi) in each of 4 warmed bowls.

Step 14: Cook 1 ⅛ lb fresh medium-thick straight ramen noodles in plenty of boiling water for the time on the pack, keeping them firm. Drain well.

Step 15: Pour 400 ml hot broth into each bowl and stir to dissolve the tare. Add the noodles, then top with chashu, a halved egg, ⅛ oz dried wood ear mushrooms, 4 spring onions and 1 sheet nori.

Step 16: Spoon 1 to 2 tsp mayu over each bowl and scatter with garlic chips. Serve straight away.

Step 17: To make ahead, cool leftover broth quickly in a sink of cold water, refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Mayu keeps in a jar in the fridge for 2 weeks.