Junes Ozoni Recipes

OZONI (JAPANESE NEW YEAR MOCHI SOUP - KANTO STYLE)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients.
• Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and put them in a small bowl, add ¼ tsp kosher salt.
• Add 1 Tbsp sake and mix well with hands. Let the chicken marinated for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, blanch the komatsuna or spinach in boiling water and cook until tender (do not overcook). Soak in iced water after removing from pot to stop cooking further.
• Squeeze the water out and cut the komatsuna into 1 ½ inch (3 cm) length.
• Make a knot with each mitsuba's stem. Peel the yuzu skin.
• If there is too much pith (the white fuzzy thing) was removed along with yuzu's skin, trim with knife. Julienne the yuzu peel very thinly.
• Add 4 cups (960 ml) dashi in a large saucepan or pot and bring it to boil. Once boiling, add the chicken pieces.
• Once all the chicken is added, cover to cook for 5-7 minutes, depending on the size of chicken.
• Once the chicken is cooked, skim the foam and fat on the surface.
• Add 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp kosher salt. Mix well and keep it on simmer.
• When everything else is ready, start toasting mochi in a toaster oven. Optionally you can do this on a frying pan or oven as well.
• Serve the chicken and soup, add the mochi and komatsuna, and finally topped with mitsuba and yuzu. Enjoy immediately.

OZONI

Steps:

• Preheat a toaster oven (or regular oven) to 450 degrees F.
• Place the mochi on a small baking sheet, spacing the pieces at least 2 inches apart, and bake until lightly golden and puffed up, about 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil and prepare a large bowl of ice water. Add the spinach to the boiling water and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Using a spider or tongs, transfer the spinach to the ice bath just until cooled, then drain. Squeeze any excess liquid from the spinach. Form into a tight "log" about 5 inches long, then cut crosswise into 4 equal pieces and set aside.
• Combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons of the sake and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a very small saucepan. Add 3/4 cup water (or enough to just cover the chicken). Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat and gently simmer, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• Meanwhile, bring the dashi to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the daikon, shiitakes and carrot and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon sake and 1 teaspoon salt. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.
• Drain the chicken and divide it among 4 soup bowls (preferably narrow and deep). Place a piece of mochi and fish cake, if using, in each bowl. Top with the broth and vegetables, followed by a parcel of spinach. Sprinkle with yuzu or lemon zest, if using, and serve.
• Combine the kombu and 6 cups cold water in a medium saucepan and let sit for about 30 minutes. (You can skip this step if you're short on time, but it does lend a little extra flavor.) Heat over medium heat just until the water comes to a near boil, but doesn't actually boil, about 5 minutes. Discard the kombu.
• Scatter the katsuobushi evenly over the water, bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately remove from the heat. Let steep, undisturbed, for about 10 minutes.
• Pour the dashi through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl or quart-size measuring cup. Do not press down on the katsuobushi, which can make the dashi cloudy and/or bitter.
• Dashi is best used the day it is made but can be cooled and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Makes about 5 cups