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Sekai Gohan

Zōni: Aichi-Style New Year Mochi Soup in Clear Broth

Servings 4 servings

A bowl of zōni: square mochi, chicken thigh and komatsuna simmered in clear broth, topped with bonito flakes
Steps with photos

Ingredients

Ingredient Amount Role
Square mochi (kiri-mochi, kakumochi) 8 pieces The heart of the bowl, simmered until soft
Mochi-na (shōgatsu-na) or komatsuna 3 oz (80 g) Green bite and color
Chicken thigh 3½ oz (100 g) Adds body to the broth
Dashi 2½ cups (600 ml) Broth base, seasoning group
Sake 1 tbsp Seasoning group; rounds the broth and the chicken
Mirin 1 tbsp Seasoning group; gentle sweetness
Salt ½ tsp Seasoning group; the first layer of salt
Soy sauce 2 tbsp Added last to set the flavor
Bonito flakes (katsuobushi) to taste Aroma on top

Steps

  1. 1Cut the greens and chicken

    Cut the mochi-na into 1½-inch (4 cm) lengths. If you use komatsuna and the stems are thick, split them in half lengthwise so they cook as fast as the leaves. Trim the yellow fat under the chicken skin and cut the chicken into small pieces. Keep the greens and chicken on separate plates. You are ready when the greens are in even lengths and the chicken is in small, uniform pieces.

  2. 2Measure the dashi

    Measure 2½ cups (600 ml) of dashi. If you use granules or a pack, make it according to the package for that amount; if you made dashi from kombu and bonito flakes, strain it first. Set it next to the saucepan with the sake, mirin and salt. The dashi should be clear and pale gold.

  3. 3Season the broth and bring it to a boil

    Pour the dashi into the saucepan and add the sake, mirin and salt. Set it over the heat and bring it to a boil just once, which Japanese cooks call hito-nitachi. Leave the soy sauce on the counter. The broth is ready when bubbles have risen across the whole surface.

  4. 4Add the mochi and chicken

    Add the mochi straight from the pack, without grilling it. Add the chicken around the mochi. The pot drops in temperature and goes quiet, so leave it alone and do not stir. Move on when the broth is bubbling again around the mochi.

    Leave the mochi ungrilled

    Raw mochi simmered in the broth turns soft right through and keeps the soup clean in flavor. Grilling first gives a toasty taste that belongs to the Kanto style and others.

  5. 5Simmer until the mochi is soft

    Keep the pot at a gentle bubble so the mochi does not slump. Skim off any scum that rises. The chicken is done when it is cooked through. The mochi is ready when a chopstick slides in with no resistance and a piece still holds its shape when you lift it.

  6. 6Add the greens

    Add the greens directly to the pot, without boiling them separately first. Push them under the broth with chopsticks. If the stems are thick, add them a moment before the leaves. The greens are ready when the leaves are wilted and bright green.

  7. 7Add soy sauce, serve and top with bonito flakes

    Taste the broth first; the salt is already in it. Add the 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and stir gently. Ladle a little broth into each bowl, then divide the mochi evenly, and spoon over the chicken, greens and the rest of the broth. Top with bonito flakes to taste; they curl and sway in the steam as soon as they land.