Step 1

Melt 1 tsp butter in a pan over a medium heat and add 4 cloves garlic , 1 tbsp ginger root and 2 tbsp Japanese leek (naganegi). Once fragrant add 150 g ground pork and stir-fry until cooked through.

Step 2

Season with 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), 1 tsp mirin, 1 tsp oyster sauce and ½ tsp chili bean sauce (toban djan) and mix thoroughly. Simmer until the liquid is almost gone and then turn off the heat.

Step 3

Take a heatproof measuring jug and whisk 500 ml freshly boiled water with 1 tsp Chinese-style chicken bouillon powder and 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter until dissolved. Pour the soup into the pan and heat on medium once more.

Step 4

Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat. Place 1 ½ tbsp yellow miso paste (awase) on a mesh spoon or ladle, dip it into the soup and then whisk it to break it up. This technique makes it easier to incorporate the miso into the soup smoothly without lumps. (Alternatively, mix the miso paste with a small amount of broth in a separate bowl and pour back into the pan once smooth.)

Step 5

Add 100 g bean sprouts to the broth and cook them in the residual heat for 1-2 minutes. (No need to turn the heat back on.)

Step 6

Cook 2 portions ramen noodles according to the instructions on the packaging and add 30 g Oriental spinach to the water in the final minute. Drain using a colander and rinse both the noodles and spinach with fresh hot water to wash off any excess starch.

Step 7

Dish up the noodles into a large bowl, pour the broth over the noodles and top with the pork, beansprouts and spinach. Garnish with green onion (green part), sweet corn (straight from the tin is fine but you can microwave them if you prefer them warm.) and unsalted butter in each bowl.

Step 8

Enjoy!