Miso Ramen

1. 1Mix all the tare ingredients into a smooth paste and set aside.
2. 2Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat and fry the pork mince hard for 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until genuinely browned and crisp in places rather than grey and steamed. That browning is most of the flavour in a fast broth.
3. 3Turn the heat to medium, add the miso tare to the pot and fry it in the pork fat for 60–90 seconds, stirring constantly, until it darkens slightly and smells nutty. Frying the miso rather than dissolving it is the step that gives a quick ramen depth.
4. 4Pour in the chicken stock, scraping the base of the pot, and bring to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes.
5. 5Stir in the milk and warm through without boiling. From this point the soup must not boil — miso loses its aroma and turns flat and grainy above a simmer.
6. 6Taste and adjust with more soy sauce. It should be assertively savoury, since the noodles will dilute it.
7. 7Blanch the beansprouts in boiling water for 30 seconds and drain. Cook the noodles separately in unsalted boiling water, drain thoroughly.
8. 8Warm the bowls, divide the noodles between them, and ladle over the soup with a generous share of the pork.
9. 9Top with a halved egg, beansprouts, sweetcorn, a small knob of butter, spring onions and nori. The butter is a Sapporo tradition and melts into the broth as you eat.

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