hacho miso soup for dinner tonight....

[mike_c]

This is pure comfort soup.

A few large prawns (the ones I bought look like small LOBSTERS)
1 shallot, chopped
4 cups chicken stock
1-2 Tbsp Hon-Dashi granules (instant dashi, dashi no moto)
several pieces of wakame kelp, soaked and chopped-- remove and discard the midrib
1 Thai bird's eye chili, minced, or about 1/4 tsp chili paste
2 dried shittake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
1 Tbsp three year old hacho miso paste-- this is a deep red miso
1/2 cup mirin
1 Tbsp good Japanese shoyu
some cooked buckwheat soba noodles
1 hard cooked egg

Bring the stock, mirin, shoyu, shallot, chili, hon-dashi, and mushrooms to a simmer. Add the hacho miso and mix well-- this usually involves moistening the miso with hot stock in a separate bowl, then vigorously whisking the lightened paste into the main pot. Add the chopped wakame sea weed. Clean and add the prawns. When the shrimp is cooked, serve the soup over soba noodles. Add 1/2 hard cooked egg to each bowl.