Smoky Peanut Rāyu Noodles
For when you are in good company: White Mausu
Prep time: 15 min | Cooking time: 25 minutes | Total time: ~40 minutes (+egg marinating time) | Difficulty: 2/5
A smoky, savoury noodle bowl built around a deep miso–shiitake broth, charred bok choy, soy–beer eggs, garlic chips, and plenty of White Mausu Peanut Rāyu.
This recipe is part of a longer piece I wrote for Substack — if you want the full story, background, and the thought process behind it, you can read it there!
Ingredients (serves 2)
Soy–Beer Eggs
Eggs 2
Soy sauce 3 tbsp / 45 ml
Beer 100 ml / ⅓ cup
Sugar 1 tsp / 4 g
Garlic Chips
Neutral oil 2 tbsp / 30 ml
Garlic cloves 3
Broth
Chicken or vegetable broth 900 ml / 3¾ cups
Dried shiitake mushrooms 4
Kombu (or dashi powder) 1 small piece / 1 tsp
Ginger 3–4 slices
Soy sauce 1–1½ tbsp / 15–22 ml
Mirin 1 tbsp / 15 ml
Neutral oil 1 tbsp / 15 ml
Onion ½
Garlic cloves 3
Tomato paste 1 tbsp / 18 g
White miso 2 tsp–1 tbsp / 10–15 g
Smoked paprika ½ tsp / 1 g
Noodles & Toppings
Noodles (udon, ramen, soba, rice noodles) approx. 300 g cooked / 10.5 oz
Bok choy 1 large or 2 small
Spring onions 2
White Mausu Peanut Rāyu to taste
Vinegar (optional) 1–2 tsp / 5–10 ml
Equipment
Medium pot
Small pan
Cast-iron or heavy pan
Fine sieve
Small container for marinating eggs
Knife and chopping board
Method
1. Soy–Beer Eggs
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Lower in the eggs gently (use a spoon so they don’t crack) and cook for 6½ minutes for the ideal jammy centre.
Transfer immediately to an ice bath — this stops the cooking and keeps the yolk soft instead of chalky.
Once cool enough to peel, place the eggs in a small container with the soy sauce, beer, and sugar.
If the marinade doesn’t fully cover the eggs, flip them halfway through the marinating time — this ensures even colour and seasoning.
Let them sit for 1–4 hours, depending on how strong you want the flavour.
Tip: The longer they sit, the firmer the whites become — go shorter for a softer egg.
2. Garlic Chips
Pour the neutral oil into a cold pan. Thinly slice the garlic and add it to the oil.
Start from cold and bring the heat up gradually to medium — this coaxes out the flavour and gives you perfectly even golden chips instead of burnt edges.
Fry until just lightly golden, then remove to a paper towel immediately.
Tip: They will darken as they cool. If they look “perfect” in the pan, they’re already too brown.
Reserve the garlic oil if you want a fragrant finishing drizzle for the bowl.
3. Infuse the Broth Base
Add the broth, dried shiitakes, dashi, ginger, soy sauce, and mirin to a pot.
Warm gently until the broth is just beginning to quiver — don’t let it boil or it can turn the broth slimy and the shiitakes bitter.
Turn off the heat, cover, and let steep for 15–20 minutes.
Tip: This slow infusion creates a clear broth with deep umami rather than murky intensity.
4. Build the Smoky Flavour Paste
Heat the neutral oil in a separate pan.
Slice the onion, smash the garlic cloves, and add them to the pan.
Cook over medium–high heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are deeply golden with areas that are properly charred — about 6–8 minutes.
This step is crucial: the light charring brings out the smoky flavour that defines the broth.
Add the tomato paste and cook for 2–3 minutes until it darkens to a brick red and smells slightly sweet — this is the sugars caramelising.
Stir in the miso and smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the flavours without burning them.
Loosen the mixture with a splash of the infused broth to form a smooth, glossy paste.
5. Combine & Finish the Broth
Pour the smoky flavour paste into the infused broth.
Bring to a low simmer for 5 minutes — just enough to marry everything without over-reducing.
Strain the broth through a fine sieve.
Taste and adjust seasoning:
– more soy for salt
– more miso for roundness
– a splash of vinegar for brightness
Tip: The final broth should taste clean but full, with a gentle smokiness that doesn’t overpower the rāyu.
6. Noodles & Bok Choy
Cook the noodles according to their instructions. Fresh udon only need 1–2 minutes; ramen and rice noodles vary.
Drain immediately — they will continue to soften once they meet the hot broth, so stop while they are still slightly firm.
Halve the bok choy lengthwise.
Heat a cast-iron or heavy pan until very hot, then place the bok choy cut-side down.
Char for 2 minutes without moving — you want deep colour and a little blistering.
Flip for 20–30 seconds on the other side.
Thinly slice the spring onions.
Tip: Charring adds bitterness, which balances the richness of the broth.
7. Assemble
Spoon a generous amount of Peanut Rāyu into the bottom of each bowl — the heat of the broth will open up the aromatics.
Add the noodles and ladle the hot broth over.
Nestle in the charred bok choy.
Halve the soy–beer eggs and place them gently on top.
Finish with garlic chips, spring onions, and more Peanut Rāyu — there is no correct amount, only honesty.
Optional: drizzle with a little garlic oil for extra depth.
The truth is, most dinners blur together. But every so often there’s one that feels steadying — not dramatic, not life-changing, just truly grounding. This bowl has that quality. Maybe it’s the smoke, or the jammy egg, or the way the rāyu takes over in the best possible way. Or maybe it’s the simple fact that real comfort doesn’t arrive with fanfare; it sneaks in through small, reliable things that stay with you over time.
So make this when you want a moment of calm, or heat, or both. Make it for someone you like, or just for yourself — either way, you’ll be in good company.
Nutritional Value (estimate, per serving as a main)
Calories: ~520 kcal
Protein: ~22 g
Fat: ~28 g
Carbohydrates: ~45 g
Fibre: ~6 g
Sugars: ~6 g
Salt: ~2.5 g
See you next week for the food; the confusion, as per usual, is on Substack.