Ingredients
| Minced fish | 150g |
|---|---|
| 15 pieces (30g) of Kuruma shrimp | |
| 60g Egg, seasoning with shrimp oil | |
| Yam | 50g |
| Green bean paste | 100g |
| 1 sho (about 1.8 liters) First brewing of soup stock | |
| 5 Rice cakes |
Cooking Instructions
- To prepare the Kuruma shrimp, peel the back vein, and place the prepared shrimp in a bowl. Pour over boilng water until you see a colour change, once this occurs, drop the shrimp into ice water. Separate the head from the body. Cook the head with grape seed oil to make the shrimp oil, and let it cool.
- Peel and chop the shrimp meat finely. Place in a mortar, adding salt.
- Combine the minced fish with the beaten egg seasoning obtained from shrimp oil, and add grated yam, as well as the previously prepared shrimp. Mould the mixture into a circular shape to form a paste and then steam.
- Boil the green beans in salted water, peel and blend with the primary broth in a mixer to form a paste. Strain.
- Arrange the shrimp paste, vegetables, and rice cakes in a bowl.
- Mix the green bean paste with the first broth, season with salt and soy sauce, thicken the broth with dissolved kudzu starch, and pour it into a bowl.
Mr. Hiroshi Ikawa
- Executive Chef at Hotel Emion at Tokyo Bay, Japanese restaurant “Kai”
- https://www.hotel-emion.jp/restaurant/japanese.php
From the Chef
Correctly preparing broth is crucial for Japanese Owan (soup) dishes. In our case, we start by placing aged Rishiri-konbu (kelp) and Ma-konbu in water for over six hours, after which it is heated. Upon boiling, we add cold water to lower the temperature to around 90℃, adding Katsuobushi (bonito flakes). The broth is then strained and used as our primary stock.
The Usu-kudzu-Shitate is a type of clear soup thickened with dissolved kudzu starch. It is also referred to as Yoshino-Shitate, a name drawn from Nara’s Yoshino region which is celebrated for its kudzu production. We adorn the primary broth with a green bean paste, which creates a delicate colour reminiscent of a bush warbler. The colour and texture ensure that this is a dish perfect for spring.
When making the egg seasoning, the usual choice would be salad oil, but we opt for shrimp oil obtained from sauteing shrimp heads. By using about 150cc of shrimp oil per egg yolk, the egg seasoning demonstrates a pronounced shrimp flavour, which adds depth and richness to the dish.