MISO SOUP

Yield: 2 gallons

Ingredient Amount

For Ichi-ban dashi:

Cold Water 9 liters

Kelp (kombu), square sheets 150 grams

Katsuobushi 250 g

Miso Soup

Dashi 8 liters

Miso 500 ml

(aka/red for summer) or

(shiro/white for winter)

Bean curd, small dice 500 g

Wakame seaweed, dried

Soaked in warm water until

Soft, ribs trimmed, cut roughly 30 grams (dry weight)

Scallions, thinly sliced on bias 4 ea.

Method

1. For the garnish: Soak the wakame in warm water for 30 minutes. Then drain in colander, pour boiling hot water over wakame then plunge into cold water (no ice). Drain well. Trim off the tough parts with hands and/or knife and discard. Chop the remaining seaweed (½-inches pieces maximum), drain.

2. Prepare dashi in a stockpot – NOT a wok.

3. Slash kombu with a knife in a few places to enable kombu flavors to be released more completely. DO NOT RINSE OR WIPE KOMBU WITH MOIST CLOTH - Do not remove the flavorful white powder from surface.

4. Add kombu to cold water. Heat over medium heat until 60 degrees centigrade.Hold at this temperature for 1 hour - DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL

5. After 1 hour, add katsuobushi and turn off heat. Steep 5 minutes ONLY. Strain without pressing and reserve solids for later use.

6. Temper in the miso as you would a roux into a hot sauce.

7. Bring temperature to 60 degrees centigrade.

8. Add bean curd, wakame just before service. Add fresh scallions to each cup as served.

Note: Save the solids. The reserved kombu and katsoubushi can be combined with 1 gallon of water, brought to 60 degrees centigrade for 20 minutes, drained and use for soups, dressings, or cooking vegetables in this liquid. This Liquid is referred to as the secondary, or ni-ban, dashi.