Osumashi with Egg, Shiitake & Leek.

I can't think of a more quintessential Japanese light healthy meal than a small bowl of "osumashi" clear soup and a bowl of rice, served in a lacquered bowl. Picture the scene - it's warm, rather muggy but you need some nourishment. So you slice some shiitake and leek, make up a consomme style dashi base and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are softened. Stir in a raw egg for each serving (It will cook in the heat of the soup) and your dish is ready - nourishing, hydrating and easily digested. Pair your osumashi with a bowl of rice perhaps topped with some fermented pickles for some tangy, palate clearing flavour and there you have it - you'll rise from your table feeling sustained, hydrated and ready to take on the summer's warmth again. Of course, the contents of an osumashi are variable and to a great extent depend on what you have available. A classic osumashi should be made using a little fish or chicken but egg works equally well - rather than enriching the flavour of the consomme as chicken and fish would, the egg is there for nutrition only and let's the diner enjoy the taste of the osumashi accompanied by the subtle flavours of the shiitake and leek. I used dashi granules to make the consomme base but if you wanted something a little more refined in terms of flavour, you could use a "dashi bag" which I find provides a richer flavour. Making your own dashi from scratch is the most authentic solution and you can find some dashi recipes in the Soups and Stocks recipes section on my site but I appreciate that you might want something a little faster, so this time, I went with the fastest route by using dashi granules from a jar.

If you would like to take a look at how to make this recipe, you can find the Youtube tutorial by clicking Osumashi with Egg, Shiitake & Leek or scroll to the bottom of the page. The written recipe is just below.

Happy cooking! Kurumi XXXX.

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Osumashi with Egg, Shiitake & Leek.

ingredients:

(makes 2 servings)

500ml / 17 fl oz water

1 tsp Japanese instant dashi stock granules

1/2 tsp salt

3cm / 1.5 in piece leek

2 shiitake or medium button mushrooms

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1 large egg

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how to:

halve the piece of leek longways, then slice into matchsticks

remove the shiitake mushrooms stalk ends and slice each mushroom into 4-5 pieces

mix the water, dashi stock granules and salt in a saucepan and bring to the boil

add the leak and shiitake mushrooms, and simmer for 2-3 mins

whisk the egg in a bowl and then pour the whisked egg into the soup. stir the egg around in the soup gently, so you achieve wispy strands of eg rather than lumps

finally add the soy sauce and stir gently

your Osumashi clear soup is ready to serve. pair with a bowl of rice. Osumashi is also a great

accompaniment for sushi & sashimi.

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