MOCHI SOUP RECIPES

Steps:

• Make the chicken stock: Rinse the chicken parts. In a pot, bring the chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 2 quarts water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to cook at a low simmer for 30 minutes, reducing the heat as needed to prevent a full boil (which would cloud the broth).
• Strain the broth and discard the chicken or reserve the meat for another use. Add the mirin to the broth and set aside.
• Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the satoimo and blanch until the skin is soft enough to slip off easily, about 3 minutes. Drain the satoimo, then use a spoon to scrape off the skin. Slice the satoimo into ¼-inch-thick rounds, then transfer them to a small saucepan. Add enough of the chicken broth to cover. Bring to a boil over high, then reduce the heat to simmer until soft, about 15 minutes.
• In lacquerware soup bowls or other small bowls, neatly arrange mizuna, satoimo and 1 or 2 slices of Naruto. Peel one or two long strips from the yuzu, then cut the strips very thinly crosswise. In a medium saucepan, reheat the chicken stock. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
• To serve, heat the mochi until puffy and soft, for a few minutes in a toaster oven or under the broiler, or 30 seconds on high in a microwave, and add it to the bowls. Immediately ladle about 1/2 cup hot broth into each bowl — before the mochi hardens — and garnish with a pinch of yuzu peel.

Steps:

• In a medium pot combine water, shrimp, salt, bouillon and daikon. Boil until bouillon cubes are dissolved. Turn down to simmer.
• In a medium bowl, combine mochiko, ham, salt and pepper, mix together. Gradually add the chicken broth to make dough. Form 1/2 inch dough balls, use mochiko on your hands so the dough does not stick and make a mess.
• In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients to make 1/2 inch pork ball. Slightly dampen your hands with water so the pork does not stick.
• Turn your soup stock heat back up and add all the mochi balls and pork balls. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, and until the mochi balls start floating to the top.
• Variations and options: you can add vegetables, such as carrots, watercress, spinach, chinese cabbage, chinese squash, mustard cabbage, etc.
• Serve hot in soup bowls, garnish with fish cake, green onions, chinese parsley.