Chef Yoshiaki Maniwa · Zest Japanese Cuisine
EARTHY, AROMATIC matsutake (pine) mushrooms are the essence of this soothing, hot soup. Whereas the pine mushrooms grown in Asia are mostly brownish, the Pacific Northwest is home to white matsutakes, which can be found at farmers’ markets and specialty grocery stores when they are in season, from August to November. For Japanese ingredients, such as kombu and wakame seaweeds, bonito flakes (known as katsuobushi in Japanese) and mirin cooking wine, visit Japanese or other Asian supermarkets.
2 tsp sake
one 1 ½-inch square kombu
3 Tbsp shaved dry bonito flakes
½ tsp salt
½ tsp light soy sauce (not low-sodium)
½ tsp mirin
4 oz hand-peeled cooked shrimp
8 pine mushrooms, in 1⁄8-inch slices
1 tsp dried wakame seaweed
1 Tbsp chopped green onions, white and green parts
1 Tbsp chopped mitsuba (optional)
LIGHTLY MOISTEN THE corner of a clean cloth with 1 tsp of the sake. Thoroughly wipe kombu to remove the fine powder on its surface. In a small stockpot, combine kombu and 2 cups water and cook on medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Before water comes to a boil, turn off the heat and remove and discard the kombu. Add bonito flakes and allow to steep for 30 minutes. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a small bowl. Strain broth, discarding bonito flakes and any other solids. This broth is called dashi.
Return dashi to the stockpot and heat on medium-high. Add salt, soy sauce, mirin and the remaining 1 tsp sake, bring to a gentle boil and immediately reduce the heat to low. Add shrimp, mushrooms and wakame and turn off the heat.
Ladle the soup evenly into 4 soup bowls. Garnish each serving with green onions and mitsuba and serve hot.
Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 1 day.