How to Make Ajitama Ramen Egg (Nitamago) Recipe - Soft and Firm versions !!

Konnichiwa. Welcome to Japanese Cooking Ichie. Today, we will make soy sauce marinated eggs, NITAMAGO. You often see them at ramen shops, but you can easily make them at home. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel. Now, let's get started. First let's make the marinade for the eggs by adding these seasonings to the pan. 3 tablespoons of cooking sake, 4 tablespoons of mirin, 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 5 grams of bonito flakes. Bonito flakes contain a lot of umami, so be sure to add them. It will make a big difference in the flavor. First, heat it over medium heat and bring it to a boil. It's necessary to boil it to evaporate the alcohol content from the mirin and sake. Once it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer to extract the umami from the bonito flakes. Simmer for about 1 minute on low heat, then strain the sauce through a fine sieve to remove the bonito flakes. After squeezing out the flakes, the marinade is complete. Move it to a place where it won't spill to let it cool down. Next, let's make the boiled eggs. Fill a deep frying pan with enough water to completely submerge the eggs. First, let's bring the water to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, adjust the heat to a slightly lower medium setting. Then, prepare 4 to 5 eggs that have just come out of the refrigerator. Next, gently place the eggs into the pot using a ladle. If you are not careful, they may crack like this, causing the egg whites to leak out. Once all the eggs are in, start a stopwatch to measure the time. For a soft-boiled texture, cook for 7 to 8 minutes, and for a firmer texture, cook for 10 to 12 minutes. Today, I will prepare both options for you. While boiling, gently roll the eggs like this. This will help position the yolks in the center of the eggs. Also, prepare a bowl filled with cold water to place the boiled eggs in. After 8 minutes of boiling, take out 2 eggs from the pot and transfer them to the bowl. At the 11 minute mark, remove all the remaining eggs from the pot and let them sit for 2 to 3 minutes. The cold water will cause the egg whites to contract, creating a gap between the shell and the egg, making it easier to peel. Today, I'll share a tip to make peeling the eggs even easier. Gently crack the bottom part of the egg and create tiny cracks all over the surface like this. Once you've finished cracking one egg, return it to the bowl and repeat the same process for all the boiled eggs. Doing this allows water to enter between the shell and the egg through the cracks, creating gaps that make peeling much easier. Let's start peeling the eggs. Prepare another bowl filled with water. If you peel the shell from the cracks at the bottom of the egg like this, it will be easier to remove. Once you've removed the bottom part of the shell, slide your finger between the shell and the egg to peel it off smoothly like this. Place the peeled eggs into the water. This is to prevent the shape of the soft boiled eggs from being damaged. After you've finished peeling all the eggs, check to make sure there are no thin membranes left like this. If you don't remove them, they may feel strange when you eat the eggs. Now, let's soak the boiled eggs in the marinade. Place a Ziploc bag open inside a bowl. Put all the eggs into the Ziploc bag and then pour the cooled marinade over them. When closing the Ziploc, make sure to squeeze out the air like this. This way, the marinade will evenly soak the entire surface of the eggs, so keep that in mind. Look at this, they've turned out beautifully. Now, let's store them in the refrigerator for about half a day to let the flavors of the marinade seep into the boiled eggs. Be careful not to soak them for too long. After soaking for half a day, take the marinated eggs out and cut them into bite-sized pieces. First, let's slice the egg that was boiled for 8 minutes. To prevent the shape of the egg from collapsing, gently slide the knife like this while cutting. The inside looks creamy and delicious. Next, let's cut the boiled eggs that were cooked for 11 minutes and compare them with the eggs that were boiled for 8 minutes. Can you see that the one on the left is softer? Feel free to adjust the boiling time to your preference. The center is creamy and it absorbs the umami of the bonito flakes beautifully, making it very delicious. I have also posted a recipe video for chashu, which is used as a topping for ramen along with boiled eggs, so please check it out. I hope you are enjoying today's video. If you enjoyed the recipe, please let me know. If you liked this video, please subscribe to the channel and give it a thumbs up. Thank you for watching and see you in the next video.