Miso nikomi udon

Method

1. 1 Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 15 minutes until softened, reserving the soaking water for cooking.
2. 2 Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, blanch them in boiling water for 1 minute, then remove them.
3. 3 Simmer the dashi broth and mushroom soaking water in an earthenware pot, dissolve the red miso paste, mirin, and sugar, and season to taste, making it stronger than regular soup.
4. 4 Add the chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and Japanese fish cake to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to infuse into the broth.
5. 5 Add the udon noodles directly to the pot and cook for 8 minutes until they absorb the broth and become slightly soft, in the authentic Nagoya style.
6. 6 Crack the egg into the center of the pot, cover and cook for 2 minutes until the egg white is just set, sprinkle with chopped scallions, then bring the entire clay pot to the table.

With an appliance

• Oven 40 min

  Replace steps 4 to 6: place the chicken, mushrooms, fish cake, and udon noodles in an earthenware pot with the miso broth, cover, and cook on the middle rack of a 180-degree oven for 15 minutes; uncover, crack an egg, and bake for an additional 3 minutes. Keep steps 1 to 3 unchanged.