ozoni

(New Year's Soup)

Recipe origin: Japan

Ingredients

• 4 mochi (rice cakes)
• 2 boned chicken breasts, trimmed and sliced into thin strips
• 2 thin leeks, sliced very finely on the diagonal
• 4 cups dashi
• 3 Tablespoons white miso

Procedure

1. Broil the mochi cakes under a hot broiler on all sides until the cake is crisp and brown, but not burnt.
2. Remove from heat, piece with a fork, and set aside.
3. Dip the chicken slices into salted boiling water for 2 minutes, then drain.
4. Bring the dashi to a boil in a saucepan, then add chicken pieces and simmer until tender.
5. Ladle ½ cup of dashi into the miso and whisk until blended.
6. Pour back into the soup and bring just to a boil, then remove from heat.
7. Place a cooked rice cake in the bottom of each of 4 bowls, then ladle the soup over them, distributing the chicken pieces evenly. Top with slivered leek.
8. Place tops on the bowls, and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8.

[oh-ZOH-nee] A Japanese soup that's traditionally served at New Year's festivities, although it's popular at other times of the year as well. Also called simply zoni, this soup contains pieces of chicken and various other ingredients (depending on the cook) including dashi, daikon and other vegetables. Ozoni is served in deep bowls over rice cakes.