1
Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms in the refrigerator overnight. Once rehydrated, cut the stems and, if the caps are large, cut them into bite-sized pieces.
2
Strain the rehydrating soup through a tea strainer and reserve 400 ml for braised shiitake and chicken.
3
Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Braised with the peeled skin will make the stew tastier.
4
Put the shiitake mushrooms, 400 ml of the strained soup and one packet of dashi into a pan, bring to the boil, add the chicken and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.
5
Take out the dashi packet, remove the scum, add the sugar, mirin and soy sauce and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes.
6
Allow the stock to cool, leaving enough to soak into the shiitake and chicken to soak up the flavour. Reserve 4 Tbsp of the stock for later use.
7
Peel the taro, rub with salt and wash a couple of times until the water is no longer runny, then cut into bite-size pieces.
8
Put enough water in a pan to cover the taro, heat over medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes after boiling, Stick a bamboo skewer into the taro. When soft, put them in a strainer and leave to cool.
9
Boil the spinach quickly in boiling water, cool in cold water, squeeze and cut into 4 cm pieces.
10
Cut the carrots into 7 mm pieces and cut them out in flower shapes. Boil the carrots until soft.
11
Place 800 ml water and 2 packets of dashi in a pan and bring to the boil over high heat.
12
When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes, then remove the dashi packets and scrub off the scum.
13
Add 4 Tbsp of the shiitake chicken stock strained through a tea strainer, sake and salt to the pan and adjust to taste.
14
Toast the rice cakes in a toaster or similar until slightly browned.
15
Place the kamaboko, taro, spinach, carrot, chicken, shiitake and grilled rice cake in a bowl, then slowly pour in the warmed clear soup.
16
Serve with condiments on top if desired.
