Chicken Paitan That Doesn't Set When Chilled: Ryuji Makes Somen, Oyakodon and Simmered Gyoza with "Tori Paitan Soup"

Ryuji often attends events like Ajinomoto's product briefings, and on hearing there that this Tori Paitan Soup had been released, Ryuji says they strongly asked to be given the sponsorship. Ryuji explains that this was because they felt it had such a wide range of uses.

The point of comparison is Marudori Gara Soup, which Ryuji always uses. According to Ryuji, chicken stock has a clean flavor, whereas Tori Paitan Soup is quite rich, and its distinguishing feature is that simply dissolving it in hot water makes a mild, rich soup. The back of the package has recipes for ramen and rice porridge, and Ryuji says the porridge is a particular favorite. However, since those standard uses can be found on the package, Ryuji says that after some trial and error they chose to cover three areas this time: soup, noodles and rice.

The first dish is somen. Ryuji says they often make cold somen with Marudori Gara Soup, which dissolves easily because it is granulated, and they tested for themselves that Tori Paitan Soup also dissolves in water.

What Ryuji emphasizes here is the difference when chilled. Chicken paitan made the usual way releases gelatin and sets when chilled, so as a rule you can't eat cold somen in chicken paitan. This Tori Paitan Soup, however, doesn't set when chilled, so it can be eaten cold. Ryuji names this as the point they most want to get across, saying something to the effect of "Even Ajinomoto doesn't do this" and "Doing things nobody anticipated is what makes cooking fun."

First, make soft-boiled eggs. Boiling them in boiling water for 7 to 7½ minutes gives soft-boiled eggs. Ryuji explains that adding a little vinegar to the water makes them less likely to crack and easier to peel. Soft-boiled eggs go very well with this soup, so Ryuji urges viewers to make them.

Next is the steamed chicken. Put a small amount of chicken breast (60 g per the video description) in a heatproof container, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and sake (1 teaspoon per the description), and microwave it. Ryuji starts to say 1 minute 40 seconds at 500 W, then corrects it to 2 minutes, saying it needs a bit more. It's quick with breast meat, but thigh meat is perfectly fine too, Ryuji says. After cooking, let it cool.

For vegetables, Ryuji uses chopped frozen okra. Since it's a cold dish, you can add it still frozen, and it will thaw as you eat. That said, Ryuji also says, "Honestly, you don't need toppings." They're added only to make it look nicer, and since a boiled egg improves the presentation, Ryuji counts themselves as the type who prefers having one.

The soup takes no effort and is made directly in the bowl. To 250 cc of water, add 3 shakes of pepper, 5 shakes of garlic powder and 2½ teaspoons of Tori Paitan Soup. Ryuji says salt isn't necessary, but adds a pinch "because I'm a drinker," for a total of two pinches.

Ryuji is candid about how easily it dissolves, admitting that Marudori Gara Soup dissolves more easily. Still, if you stir it and leave it, it will dissolve on its own. On camera, Ryuji shows a white, slightly thick paitan soup made with just water and no heating, and the staff member beside them is surprised that it wasn't heated. Chill this soup in the refrigerator until ice-cold.

Bring plenty of water to a full boil and cook the somen firm, for 1 minute or a little over. Finishing them firm gives a better contrast with the soup and makes them tastier, Ryuji says. Once boiled, rinse and chill them in water, then squeeze out the water thoroughly, because any water left behind will dilute the soup.

Around this point, Ryuji realizes they haven't yet had the drink they normally have during filming, and laughs that they had skipped it "because my passion got ahead of me."

Put the somen into the chilled soup, arrange the noodles neatly, and top with the okra, steamed chicken and boiled egg. To finish, drizzle over as much olive oil as you like. The boiled egg and okra are unseasoned, so sprinkling them with salt (Aji-Shio per the description) makes even the egg delicious, Ryuji says.

The second dish is oyakodon. Ryuji sums up that Tori Paitan Soup can also be used in dishes like fried rice, and that its basic feature is that substituting it in dishes normally made with Marudori Gara Soup makes them richer.

Ryuji chose oyakodon because the oyakodon served at a yakitori shop they frequent is made with chicken stock. The key is making it with paitan instead, which adds richness and makes it really go well with rice, Ryuji says. Since no soy sauce is used, it's essentially a salt-seasoned oyakodon. Ryuji says they are "nothing but confident" this time, citing the fact that the seasoning itself tastes good. Ryuji adds that, although it isn't being made this time, mapo tofu is also delicious and easy.

Partway through, a staff member asks what the difference is between paitan and qingtang (chintan). According to Ryuji, paitan is a cloudy white soup and qingtang is a clear soup; paitan is the one in which the chicken fat and gelatin are emulsified. Paitan is the one generally described as rich. Ryuji lays it out this way: even with the same chicken, something made with Marudori Gara Soup counts as qingtang, while this Tori Paitan Soup counts as paitan.

The ingredients are 120 g chicken thigh, 30–40 g onion, 2 eggs and 200 g cooked rice, seasoned only with Tori Paitan Soup and salt. The rice is frozen rice, thawed.

Cut the chicken and onion into bite-sized pieces, lightly oil a frying pan, and sear the chicken, seasoned with a pinch of salt, skin side down. Since the recipe is based on the yakitori shop's, "searing" is important; browning it and crisping the fat increases the richness, Ryuji says. Long green onion is also tasty, but Ryuji says onion is better after all.

Once the onion is in, add 100 cc of water and 1⅓ teaspoons of Tori Paitan Soup. Adding a bit on the generous side makes it tasty, apparently. This turns it into a cloudy white, rich soup that thickens and combines with the chicken's umami to become very concentrated, Ryuji explains.

Lightly beat the eggs so that a little of the white remains, and serve the rice into the bowl first so you don't have to rush. Pour in half the egg first, move it around a little to break up the whites, then add the rest. Doing it in two stages creates the soft, half-set texture, Ryuji says. While cooking, Ryuji remarks that the thickness feels a little different from ordinary oyakodon. You can add mitsuba or green onion, but the oyakodon at the yakitori shop Ryuji frequents has only onion as a vegetable. How set you make the egg is up to you.

As for heat, apart from searing the chicken, it stays at medium-low throughout, nearly low. When a staff member says, "There's no sugar or mirin in it," Ryuji replies, "You don't need them," and says a salty oyakodon is also delicious in its own way. Finally, take it off the heat and slide it onto the rice, and it's done.

The third dish is simmered gyoza (takigyoza) using Ajinomoto frozen gyoza. Ryuji jokingly introduces it as "sucking up to Ajinomoto," and says it's the easiest of the three dishes.

For green onion, use long green onion if possible; it's tastier to chop plenty and put it on the soup, Ryuji says. 60 g is used this time, but the amount is up to you, and other types of green onion are fine.

Put 500 cc of water in a pot and add 5 teaspoons of Tori Paitan Soup, because according to Ryuji the guideline is 1 teaspoon per 100 cc. Add 7 shakes of pepper to make it a little spicy. In hot water it dissolves instantly, Ryuji says. You could add wakame or egg, but this time Ryuji adds as many frozen gyoza as desired—here, the entire bag (12 pieces per the description)—and simmers them.

According to Ryuji, Hakata is famous for simmered gyoza, which can also be had in Tokyo, but the original soup is tonkotsu. Chicken paitan goes very well too, though, and the rich, creamy soup clings to the gyoza and makes them delicious. The concept is that the soup itself tastes good, so why not just eat them in it. Ryuji says they "can think of endless recipes," but felt it was better to start simple, so made it about as easy as one of their "kyomu" (nihilistic) recipes. Ryuji also explains that boiling gyoza is easier than pan-frying them, and that the starch from the wrappers dissolves into the soup, thickening it slightly and making it tastier.

During the simmering, there is a remark that about a year has passed since launch and it feels like it needs "one more push"; there are still many people who don't know about it, so the speaker would like it boosted and made into an indispensable seasoning. Who said this isn't clear from the subtitles. In response, Ryuji says the key point is that "there was no other seasoning like this." Ryuji also introduces another use: replacing the water when making curry with Tori Paitan Soup makes it tasty, adding a base layer of flavor.

Once it comes to a boil, add the long green onion. You can also scatter it on top, but cooking it a little takes away the sharpness and makes it extremely tasty, Ryuji says.

The tasting begins with Ryuji remembering the drink they had forgotten. New seasonings get them excited, Ryuji says. Ryuji emphasizes again that the soup is silky and thick, and that while ordinary chicken soup comes out light and clear, this doesn't.

After eating the somen, a staff member describes it as heavy yet really delicious, saying it seems to hit hard at first and then the sweetness spreads. Ryuji says no shop serves a chilled paitan dish, that paitan and chilled dishes don't normally go together, and repeats that you can only make this by buying Ajinomoto's Tori Paitan Soup. Ryuji also confirms that the frozen okra has thawed by now and is fine.

Ryuji goes on to cite its versatility. Toppings were added this time, but any you like will do. Somen is normally eaten with mentsuyu, and something just as easy ought to be what people want; with this one too, if you skip the toppings, you just put everything in the bowl, stir and add the somen, so it's as easy as mentsuyu, Ryuji says.

After eating the oyakodon, a staff member says they've never had oyakodon like this and praises how the paitan really comes through. Ryuji says that making it this way requires neither soy sauce nor mirin, so it's overwhelmingly easier than making regular oyakodon.

Here Ryuji recommends eating it with a little yuzu kosho on top. Hardly anyone would think of using yuzu kosho with oyakodon, but yakitori shops sometimes serve it on the side, and it lets you change up the flavor, Ryuji says. Ryuji also notes that it doesn't cost much in ingredients and raises the quality of home cooking.

The simmered gyoza is first eaten as is, scooped up together with the soup. The staff member and Ryuji both say "super tasty," and the staff member puts it as the deliciousness not being proportional to the cooking time. Ryuji says the frozen gyoza become juicy and it's delicious to shovel them down with the soup. Saying this is how it's eaten in Hakata, Ryuji pairs this one with yuzu kosho too and confirms that it goes well.

Ryuji says this plus rice alone is enough for a meal. The staff member agrees that when you're tired and don't really feel like cooking, you can just heat water and add frozen gyoza. Ryuji adds that tossing in leftover green onions, garlic chives or the like gets you some vegetables too, making it very practical for everyday use.

To wrap up, the conversation turns to how ordinary chicken stock doesn't produce this flavor. The staff member says they honestly thought that having chicken stock meant that was all they needed for chicken-based dishes, but realized it's completely different. Ryuji sums up that the key is the depth and mellowness it brings, and closes the episode by calling all three recipes ones you can use starting today.