miso soup with crispy shiitakes

my miso soup with crisp shittakes

If you have been wondering where I have been, I’ve been nowhere.  I’ve been right here.  However, cooking has been an issue since there is not a category on this blog for “don’t try this at home.”  From a house filled with the lovely aroma of burnt sugar, really charred would be a better description, on more than one occasion, then the coffee cake muffins that were are chewy as beef jerky… I decided to go back to something that is comforting and not challenging.  Mostly I’m interested in the comforting part.

another great reason

The not so scary ingredients you will need:

• Kombu a dried seaweed from Japan
• bonito flakes airdried skipjack mackerel
• miso paste, I like white miso but I have not tried any other colors
• garnishes:
• shiitake condiment, recipe below (optional)
• tofu cubes, optional
• scallions or green onions for garnish

Begin by making the dashi, the broth.  Place a pot of water, 4 cups, on the stove with 1-2 pieces of kombu in it.  Let it sit while you get the rest of your ingredients and supplies. Bring to a boil.  Then remove the kombu just as it starts to boil.

Kombu simmering in 4 cups of water

you don't have to toss it. you can use it for other Japanese simmering broths

Add the bonito.  About a half cup should do it.  I do not meaure. Bring back to a boil, then turn off heat and wait for bonito to sink to bottom of pan.

flakes of dried fish, looks like wood shavings but tastier

Strain. Then add back to the pan and place on the stove. Now your dashi is ready.

strain out the wood, oops, I mean fish flakes (bonito)

smell the miso again, just for fun.

this is the flavor key, just smell that -- delicious

Add about 1/3 cup of miso paste to a bowl and ladle in a bit of the hot broth to dissolve the paste.

take a scoop of the miso and a ladle of stock to dissolve the miso before adding to the soup

Pour into the stock and stir.  It looks like it is curdled or alive, you did it right! Taste and add more miso using the step above if you want a stronger soup.

this is where the fun begins

If the soup is not hot enough for you, heat it a little more, please be careful not to boil it.

Now add your favorite garnishes.  Tofu cubes and scallions are traditional, but use what you’ve got.  I did not have any green onions so I used cilantro for that great color contrast, though I think the green onions would have been tastier.  The little oil droplets on the surface are from the shiitakes.

no need to grab a spoon, just tip the bowl to your lips, delish

Crispy Shiitakes

the ultimate garnish, crisp and meaty

Super simple condiment that brings out that umami meatiness in vegetarian dishes. Remember that mushrooms are full of water and will shrink significantly. See the before and after pictures.

My kids have always eaten shiitakes, when they were young I told them it was chicken.  They fell for it and now they like them eventhough they know they are mushrooms, I have not had the same luck with the other mushroom varieties.  These are so tasty and meaty why go back to the button one?

Crispy Shiitakes

• handfuls of fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• a glug of your favorite oil (grapeseed)
• salt and pepper

Heat a large pan over moderate heat, add a glug (1 Tbsp or so) of oil to the pan.  Toss in the mushrooms, stir.  Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.  Cover the pan and cook for 10-15 minutes.  Checking occasionally to stir up so the bits don’t get stuck to the bottom of the pan. When mostly crisp, remove the lid to let any remaining moisture evaporate. Eat.

here they are raw, see how much they shrink up?

Tagged as: Asian, quick, vegetarian