Japanese Pork Miso Soup

Ingredients  

• 200 g slab skinless pork belly chilled
• 350 g daikon radish peeled, thickly sliced and quartered
• 150 g carrot roughly cut into bitesize pieces
• 75 g burdock root (gobo) peeled and thinly sliced diagonally
• 20 g fresh shiitake mushroom stems removed and thinly sliced
• 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) thinly sliced diagonally
• 400 g konjac (konnyaku) cut into bitesize pieces
• 60 g fried tofu pouch (aburaage) thinly sliced
• 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1500 ml dashi stock
• 6-7 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase)
• 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu)
• 1 tsp mirin
• toasted sesame oil to garnish
• finely chopped green onions optional
• Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) optional

Instructions 

1. Cut the 200 g slab skinless pork belly into slices 2mm thick. (I recommend doing this straight from the fridge.)
2. Wash, peel and cut 350 g daikon radish, 150 g carrot, 75 g burdock root (gobo), 20 g fresh shiitake mushroom, 50 g Japanese leek (naganegi) and 60 g fried tofu pouch (aburaage) according to the notes in the ingredients list.
3. Use a spoon to break 400 g konjac (konnyaku) into bitesize pieces. Blanch and wash with cold water.

Cooking

1. Heat a large pot on medium and once hot, add 1/2 tbsp butter. Add the pork belly slices and seal on both sides.
2. Add the burdock root to the pot and stir fry for 1 minute.
3. Next, add the carrot, daikon radish, mushroom, konjac and aburaage, and mix everything together.
4. Pour 1500 ml dashi stock into the pot and stir.
5. Measure out 6-7 tbsp yellow miso paste (awase) and add half of it to the soup by placing it in a mesh spoon or ladle, submerging it into the broth and whisking on the spoon to break it up. Mix and simmer for 15 minutes.
6. Scoop off any foam that develops on the surface of the soup. (This will prevent the broth from becoming cloudy.)
7. Add the sliced green onion and simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Add 1 tsp Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu) and 1 tsp mirin, then turn off the heat. Add the rest of the miso paste using the same technique as before. Taste test and add more miso paste if needed.
9. Divide into serving bowls and top with a drizzle with toasted sesame oil, finely chopped green onions and a sprinkle of Japanese chili powder (shichimi togarashi) (optional).
10. Enjoy!