Tantanmen

My favorite ramen is Tantanmen.
I’ve made a few different kinds of ramen before, but I never dared to try Tantanmen, afraid I wouldn’t live up to my own expectations.

Two weeks ago, my girlfriend baked miso chocolate chip cookies for the first time. I love chocolate chip cookies almost as much as I love ramen, and honestly, that cookie was the best I’ve ever had. Somewhere around the fifth cookie, I got the idea for this Tantanmen, one that would feel a bit more like my own.

Noodles: Temomi style, 38% hydration, cut thick (really thick).
Broth: Chicken and dried sardine base.
Tare: An intuitive mix of tahini and peanut butter, blended with a very spicy chili oil loaded with Sichuan pepper, sansho, and more.

Toppings:
Coriander, roasted cashews, chili threads, minced beef in black bean and sake sauce, pickled mustard greens, ajitama, and a burnt caramel flower.

Finished with brown butter on top.

Probably the best ramen I’ve ever made, and definitely one I’ll be making again and again.