added by
45 min  
prep: 15 min
cook: 30 min
4 servings
zōni (japanese new year soup)
ingredients
all
4 pieces snow pea
small in size
1 bunch misuba
could also use spinach
8 slices carrot
sliced thin and cut into the shape of a cherry blossom or other decorative shapes
1 lb chicken thigh
skinless and boneless
4 cups dashi
2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sake
4 pieces shiitake mushrooms
dried
1 tbsp usukuchi soy sauce
4 pieces mochi
4 slices kamaboko
sliced thin
yuzu zest
peeled, could also use meyer lemon as a substitute
cookware
As a Japanese new year tradition, zoni (short for ozone) is supposed to be the very first thing you eat in the new year. I first tasted zoni the first time I joined my husband's family for new year's day. We now make this soup at home every new year. To make cooking as easy as possible to cook on new year's day, we recently rewrote it to include some preparation on new year's eve.
new year's eve
1
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath. Blanch the snow peas for 20 seconds then transfer them to the ice bath. Drain.
2
Bring the water back to a boil then blanch the mitsuba in the boiling water for 45 seconds then transfer it to the ice bath. Drain the mitsuba then twist pieces of it into 4 mini-wreaths.
3
Store the snow peas and misuba wreaths in an airtight container lined with paper towel.
4
Using the stainless vegetable cutters, cut the carrot into decorative shapes. Store in the fridge for use the next day.
new year's day
5
About an hour before serving time, reconstitute the shiitake mushrooms in a glass measuring cup filled with 1 cup of hot water. Weigh the mushrooms down with a ramekin or equivalent to keep them submerged. If using fresh shiitakes, simply wash and slice.
6
Bring a pot of hot water to a boil. Boil the chicken for a few minutes to "cook off the first." This process boils off any scum and helps ensure that your final broth is as clear and clean as possible. Drain the chicken and toss out the scum with the water. If reusing the same pot for soup, rinse it out and wipe with paper towel.
7
Warm up the dashi in a pot. Season it with the salt and sake. Simmer the chicken and carrots in it for about 20 minutes.
8
Pull the chicken out of the soup, slice, and reserve.
9
Add the strained shiitake soaking liquid to the soup and season the soup with soy sauce. Slice the shiitakes and add them to the soup as well. Or if using fresh shiitakes, toss them in at this point.
10
Microwave the mochi for about 30 seconds, then toast it in the broiler until it puffs up and develops a golden brown crust. Watch it closely to make sure that it doesn't burn. We usually line the cookie sheet with foil and coat it with a little avocado oil to eliminate sticking.
11
To assemble, set a piece of mochi with some chicken in the bottom of the bowl. Add the mitsuba ring then fill the bowl with soup. Add the shiitake mushrooms, carrot, kamaboko (fish cake), and snow pea. Garnish with yuzu/meyer lemon zest and enjoy immediately ... the mochi tastes best while the toasted top is still crunchy.
source: adapted from pbs.org