Jerk Chicken Ramen

We wanted to make Jerk Chicken for our first time but was also craving ramen. Therefore, we decided to combine the two and made Jerk Chicken Ramen! Thought it was an original idea but this Asian Caribbean fusion already exists haha. For the chicken seasoning, we created a jerk chicken dry rub. We went for a dry rub versus a marinade because the dry rub creates a better crust with the skin! To complement the bold flavors, we made a Shoyu (soy sauce) broth. It's very light and subtle in taste. Here's our take on this delicious bowl of ramen!

Ingredients

Servings: 2

Jerk Chicken dry Rub

• 2 Quartered Chicken legs, skin-on

• Scotch bonnet or Habanero (it's really SPICY! Can take seeds out for less spice)

• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

• 1 Tbsp fresh Thyme (dried is ok too)

• 1 teaspoon ground Allspice

• 1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg

• 1 teaspoon ground Black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon ground Cinnamon

Shoyu broth

• 5 cups Vegetable or Chicken stock

• 8 Shiitake mushroom (unstemmed), soaked in water until soft then sliced

• 4 Scallions, chopped 1 inch

• 2 Tbsp Mirin

• 3 1/2 Tbsp Soy Sauce (depends on salt level intake, can add more if you want)

• 2 cloves Garlic, sliced

• Ground Black pepper, to taste

Toppings

• Soft boil egg, cooked for 6 minutes then cut in half

• Collard greens, either boiled or sautéed

• Shiitake mushroom - from the broth

• Carrots, julienned

• Corn

Noodles - we used fresh Sun noodle ramen (instant ramen is ok too)

Instructions

1. Make jerk chicken dry rub by mixing all ingredients in a food processor.

2. Season chicken legs with the jerk chicken dry rub for at least 30 minutes. Be sure to season underneath the skin for more flavor.

3. Warm cast iron skillet for 2 minutes, add 2 Tbsp cooking oil over medium high heat then sear the chicken legs (skin down) for 3-5 minutes until skin turns brown (longer if you want it darker but don't burn it!).

4. Once browned, flip the chicken over and place the whole cast iron skillet into the middle rack of preheated 350F oven. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until internal temp. is 165F.

5. Make Shoyu broth by combining all soup ingredients. Boil on high heat then lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes.

6. Cook ramen noodles according to its packaged instructions. When done, drain it and rinse it cold water quickly. Set aside.

7. Prepare toppings. Once everything is cooked, assemble --> noodles in bowl, broth, chicken, then toppings. Enjoy!

Notes

• We don't have a grill so we cooked it on cast iron. If you don't have a cast iron, you can sear the chicken legs in a large skillet.

• If you can't find shiitake mushrooms, you can use brown baby bella mushrooms.

• We love using Sun noodle ramen brand. We get the "kaedama" kit, which is just the noodles with no broth seasoning mix. We usually buy it at HMart, Food Bazaar, or Whole Foods. If you can't find fresh ramen, you can substitute it with instant ramen if you want.

If you make this recipe, we'd love to see it! Tag us at @NY.Foodie on your stories & posts.