00:00Today, I want to introduce a traditional Japanese New Year's mochi soup called ozoni.
00:05There are so many original variations of this dish, and in this video, I'll be showing
00:10you how to make my local version, which is Nagoya style.
00:16The first step is frying the chicken, so heat a pan on medium, and add 1 teaspoon of cooking
00:22oil.
00:23Add about 100 grams of boneless chicken thigh, and season it with a pinch of salt.
00:28We're going to fry that until it's cooked through, and a bit golden on the outside.
00:35While you wait, start boiling a pot of water, and cut 100 grams of Japanese mustard spinach
00:41into thirds.
00:42This is called komatsuna, but if you can get it, bok choy is a good substitute.
00:49Drop that in the boiling water, and blanch it for 30 seconds.
00:56Then, transfer it to a bowl of ice water.
00:59This technique improves the flavour, texture, and colour of the komatsuna.
01:04Next we're going to make the soup.
01:06Pour 400ml of dashi to a pot, and add 1.5 teaspoon of mirin.
01:12Next we add in kirimuchi, which is a cut rice cake.
01:16This is enough soup for 4 portions, but I'll cook 2 now, and then cook 2 more later when
01:23I eat the leftovers.
01:24We add the mochi to the dashi before it's boiling, so that it doesn't become too soft and
01:29mushy on the outside.
01:31Mochi is supposed to bring happiness and good fortune, so we commonly eat it around the new
01:36year.
01:36This soup is lightly seasoned and relies a lot on the flavour of the dashi, so I recommend
01:42using homemade dashi or a high-quality dashi packet rather than granules.
01:48Gently simmer over medium heat.
01:50The mochi is ready when it's soft on the outside, and looks like this.
01:56Next add 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and the pan-fried chicken thigh from earlier.
02:00If there are chicken juices in the pan, add those in 2 for a deeper flavour.
02:06Simmer for about 1 minute to warm the chicken through, and then we're ready to serve up.
02:14I was born and raised in the Nagoya area, so I've always enjoyed Nagoya-style ozoni.
02:21Nagoya's ozoni is often called the simplest in Japan, and I think that's part of what
02:26makes it so special.
02:27It's a simple and complicated dish that focuses on purity and quality of its ingredients, rather
02:34than being extravagant.
02:36It's a bit ironic though, because other parts of Japan often see us as bold and flashy in
02:42general.
02:44Place the mochi in a soup bowl.
02:51Add about 3 pieces of chicken per portion.
02:56I'm also adding kamaboko, which is another typical New Year's food.
03:01Add a small bunch of komatsuna, and then pour the soup over the top.
03:15Garnish with bonito flakes, and that's it, authentic Nagoya-style ozoni, a light and delicate version
03:22of Japanese New Year's mochi soup with chicken.
03:25And great news, I've launched a free mobile app that makes following along with my recipes
03:30even easier.
03:31It's the perfect kitchen companion after watching my videos.
03:34You can access step-by-step instructions right on your phone while you cook.
03:39The download link is in the description below.
03:43Want even more delicious recipes?
03:45Grab my free cookbook from the link in the description.
03:48I hope you enjoyed this one.
03:50If you want the printable recipe, you can find it on my blog, I've put the link on the
03:55screen.
03:55And if you like this video, don't miss my soup playlist popping up on your screen right
04:01now.
04:01Thanks so much for watching, and I hope to see you in the next one.
04:05Happy New Year.
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