Japanese Steamed Seafood and Chicken Soup

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This elegant Japanese dish from Nagoya features delicate seafood, chicken, and seasonal vegetables steamed in individual earthenware pots. The clear, umami-rich dashi broth captures the pure essence of each fresh ingredient. Traditionally served piping hot, it's sipped directly from the pot after enjoying the tender fillings.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 110 kcalCalories
• 3 gFat
• 0.8 gSaturated Fat
• 5 gCarbs
• 1 gFiber
• 1 gSugar
• 14 gProtein
• 380 mgSodium
• 320 mgPotassium
• 35 mgCalcium
• 1.5 mgIron
• 4 mgVitamin C
• 75 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the Dashi Broth

• 4 cups filtered water
• 1 piece kombu (dried kelp), about 10 g
• 2 cups loosely packed bonito flakes (katsuobushi), about 20 g
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons sake
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce

For the Soup Fillings

• 8 oz boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
• 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps quartered
• 16 shelled ginkgo nuts (or 1/4 cup thawed frozen ginkgo)
• 4 small snow peas, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal

For the Garnish

• 1 small bunch mitsuba (Japanese parsley), cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 strip yuzu peel (or substitute lemon zest), finely julienned
• 1/4 teaspoon yuzu juice (or substitute fresh lemon juice)

Directions

1. Make the dashi: Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth, place it in a pot with the cold water, and slowly heat over medium until small bubbles form around the kelp, about 5 minutes. Remove the kombu just before the water boils, then add the bonito flakes and turn off the heat.
2. Let the bonito flakes steep for 4 minutes until they sink to the bottom, then strain the dashi through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth. Stir in the salt, sake, and soy sauce, and keep the broth hot over very low heat.
3. Prepare four small heatproof ceramic pots (about 1-cup capacity, ideally with lids, or use ramekins covered with foil). Divide the chicken, shrimp, shiitake, ginkgo nuts, and snow peas evenly among the pots.
4. Bring a large steamer or pot fitted with a rack and 2 inches of water to a full rolling boil over high heat. Pour the hot dashi into each pot, filling each about 3/4 full, and cover tightly with lids or foil.
5. Carefully place the covered pots on the steamer rack and steam over rapidly boiling water for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the shrimp turn pink and opaque.
6. Using tongs or thick oven mitts, transfer the steaming pots to serving plates. Top each pot with a small handful of fresh mitsuba and a few threads of yuzu peel.
7. Serve immediately, instructing diners to first sip the aromatic broth directly from the pot, then enjoy the tender fillings with a small spoon. Add a drop of yuzu juice to each pot just before drinking for brightness.
8. Re-steam briefly if the broth cools during a long meal; the dish is best enjoyed piping hot at the table.

Cook’s Notes

• Use the freshest possible ingredients since the clear broth showcases every flavor; pre-cooked or frozen shrimp will muddy the dashi.
• If traditional dobin earthenware pots are unavailable, use small ceramic cups, teacups, or 6-oz ceramic ramekins covered tightly with aluminum foil.
• Never boil the kombu vigorously or it will release bitter compounds and make the dashi cloudy; remove it just before the water boils.
• Ginkgo nuts should be lightly blanched in salted water for 2 minutes to soften their papery skins if using fresh whole nuts.
• For the deepest umami, prepare the dashi the same day you serve the soup; it does not keep well once strained.

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