Vegan Ramen with Miso and Shiitake Broth

Steps

1. Wipe the kombu with a dry cloth without rinsing it (the white powder on the surface is flavor). Put it in a large pot with the dried shiitakes and 1.8 liters of cold water, and let it soak for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. While it soaks, wrap the 400 g of firm tofu in a kitchen towel, set a cutting board and a full pot on top, and let it drain for 15 minutes. Then cut it into 8 slices 1.5 cm (5/8 inch) thick and pat them very dry.
3. Set the soaking pot over medium heat. When small bubbles form on the bottom, just before the boil (about 10 minutes), remove the kombu. Turn the heat down, cover, and gently simmer the shiitakes for 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, grate the ginger and the 3 garlic cloves. Heat 1 tablespoon of toasted sesame oil in a small skillet over medium heat and cook them for 1 minute, until fragrant but not colored. Add them to the broth with 3 tablespoons of soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of mirin.
5. Lift out the shiitakes with a slotted spoon, squeeze them over the pot to save their juices, remove the tough stems, and slice the caps. Keep the broth hot over very gentle heat without boiling.
6. Coat the tofu slices with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and tap off the excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sear the tofu for 3 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Stir together 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of mirin, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, pour it into the pan with the sliced shiitakes, and toss for 1 minute, until the glaze turns sticky and coats everything.
7. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Halve the bok choy, drop it in for 1 minute along with the corn, then lift out with a slotted spoon. Drop the fresh ramen noodles into the same water and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, loosening them with chopsticks, then drain quickly. Cooked separately, they will not cloud the broth with their starch.
8. Off the heat, whisk 100 g of white miso and 40 g of tahini in a bowl with a ladle of hot broth until smooth, then pour it back into the pot and stir. Do not let it boil again: the miso would lose its fermented aroma, its proteins would turn grainy, and the sesame would split.
9. Warm the bowls with boiling water. Slice the green onions and cut the nori into rectangles. Divide the noodles among the bowls, ladle about 400 ml of broth into each, then arrange the tofu, shiitakes, bok choy, corn, and green onions. Tuck the nori against the rim, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and finish each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chili oil.