Ozoni
By: Sheri Wetherell
Published: Friday, December 14, 2012 - 11:40am

Ingredients




4 cups water, divided
1 pound boneless chicken thighs
8 slices carrot
1/4 cup sake
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
3-4 pieces of fish cake, sliced
1 small bunch spinach, lightly boiled and drained
4 mochi
1 yuzu or Meyer lemon zest

Preparation

1 In a medium stockpot, add water, chicken, carrots, sake, and salt. Simmer for 20 minutes, skimming to remove any scum that rises to the top. Remove chicken and set aside. 2 Add soy sauce and adjust salt to taste. Slice up the shiitake mushrooms and fish cake, then add them to the soup. 3 Lay down a sheet of aluminum foil in a toaster oven then toast the mochi until the top begins to puff up and turn golden brown. 4 To serve, place 1-2 pieces of grilled mochi at the bottom of each bowl, then add a few slices of chicken. Then place a few pieces of spinach in each bowl. Add the soup along with two slices of carrot, shiitake mushrooms and fish cake. 5 Garnish with yuzu zest and serve.

About

Ozoni is a typical Japanese soup eaten on Oshogatsu, the first day of the New Year. Variations are wide, this one is a Tokyo-style version containing a soy sauce-flavored chicken broth and toasted mochi. Mochi are pounded rice cakes and are available in Asian markets. They are either round or square.