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What You Need:
(To Serve: 6)
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A 6-ounce cake fresh, canned or instant tofu (soybean curd), cut into 6 equal parts
A 2-inch square kombu (dried kelp), cut with a heavy knife from a sheet of packaged kombu and washed under cold running water
Salt
MSG
6 spinach leaves
6 medium-sized shrimp (16 to 20 per pound), shelled and deveined
¼ cup cornstarch
6 cups sumashi
A 2 inch piece lemon peel, cut into long, very narrow strips
ALTERNATE GARNISH (chicken ball instead of the butterflied shrimp):
½ pound ground white meat of chicken
1 tablespoon Japanese all-purpose soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
A dash of kona samho (Japanese pepper), or substitute freshly ground black pepper
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon sake (rice wine)
A 2-inch square kombu (dried kelp), cut with a heavy knife from a sheet of packaged kombu and washed under cold running water
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Translate this recipe:
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| How To Cook: |
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PREPARE AHEAD:
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1. In a small saucepan, bring 2cupsof water to a simmer over high heat. Add the cubes of tofu and the square of kombu and let the water return to a simmer. Then immediately remove the pan from the heat and set it aside until ready to serve.
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2. In another saucepan, bring 2 cups of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop in the spinach, sprinkle lightly with MSG, and let the water return to a boil.
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3. Then remove the spinach with a slotted spoon and run cold water over it. Squeeze the spinach to remove its excess water and dry on paper towels. Reserve the pan of cooking water.
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4. To butterfly the shrimp, first cut them three quarters of the way through along the length of their inside curves. Then spread them out and gently flatten them with the side of a cleaver or the flat of a large, heavy knife. Dip the shrimp one at a time into the cornstarch to coat them lightly and evenly, then shake off any excess.
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5. Bring the reserved pan of spinach water to a boil over high heat. Add the shrimp and boil them briskly for about 30 seconds. Drain them through a sieve and set them aside.
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TO COOK AND SERVE:
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1. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the sumashi to a boil. Add the shrimp, return to the boil, boil about 15 seconds, and drain.
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2. Arrange 1 shrimp, a spinach leaf, a cube of tofu and a thin strip of lemon peel in the bottom of each soup bowl.
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3. Fill each bowl three-quarters full with the hot soup, pouring it carefully down the side of the bowl to avoid disturbing the decorative arrangement.
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ALTERNATE GARNISH (CHICKEN BALL INSTEAD OF THE BUTTERFLIED SHRIMP):
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1. Combine the ½ pound of ground chicken, 2 teaspoons of the soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, a dash of kona sansho (or finely ground black pepper) and 1 egg yolk in a suribachi (mixing bowl) or mortar and mix vigorously with a pestle until the mixture is smooth.
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2. With lightly moistened hands, roll the mixture into 6 small balls.
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3. In a 1-quart pan, combine 1 cup of cold water, 1 tablespoon sake, 1 teaspoon soy sauce and a 2-inch square of kombu, and bring to a simmer over moderate heat.
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4. Drop in the ground chicken balls, lower the heat, and poach gently for about 6 or 7 minutes, or until firm. Place 1 chicken ball in each soup bowl in place of the shrimp, add the spinach and lemon, and fill the bowls.
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