This dish has a great story for me. During my first solo trip to Tokyo, I walked into an underground restaurant near closing time. Not wanting to impose on them, I told them omakase. The owner and chef then cooked me 2 small dishes with this dish as the main one. He cooked the dish in front of me as we had a chat. The dish was simple but it was so comforting and delicious especially in winter.
The two main parts are the soup base and the chicken balls. Add what vegetables you might like in it. I like hakusai cabbage, carrots, radish, shiitake mushrooms, tofu and leek.
Meatballs:
200g Minced chicken
1 Tbsp grated ginger (my cheat for this is Soup Restaurant’s Samsui Ginger Sauce)
1 tsp corn or potato starch
Season with white pepper powder and a pinch of salt
Method:
Mix everything together well with a spoon and leave it to sit while you prepare the vegetables and stock.
Stock:
1.5litres of water
2 Tbsp of shiro dashi
1 Tbsp of Japanese soup base for noodles (dark coloured)
2 Tbsp Sake
Handful of Leek
Method:
Boil them together as your base. Taste everything and adjust to your preference.
Dreaming in Flavours 