Kakitamajiru, mitsuba-iri / egg flower clear soup with mitsuba

Eggs are one of the best matches with mitsuba. This distinctive aromatic Japanese herb instantly perks up an easy clear soup with fluffy eggs.

<Ingredients>

300 cc dashi
2 tsp usukuchi soy sauce
1/2-1 egg
Salt to taste (not in photo)
2-3 tsp potato starch + 1-1 1/2 tbsp water
Several stems/leaves mitsuba


<Directions>
1.

In a pot, put dashi and usukuchi soy sauce, and heat to a gentle boil.
Taste, and add salt if necessary.

2.

Beat egg, and chop mitsuba.

3.

Mix potato starch + water mixture well, and pour into dashi pot, first 1/2 to 2/3 of the specified amount.

Here, I first put it to the ladle, and mix into the soup.

Simmer for 30-60 seconds until the soup becomes clear.

Add more potato starch + water mixture as necessary to obtain desired consistency.

4.

Keep the soup on medium to medium low heat, and slowly swirl in egg.

5.

When egg is cooked, turn off heat, and add mitsuba.

Serve immediately.

<Notes>

• Mitsuba can be added to individual bowls, especially if mitsuba is very tender, instead of to the soup pot.
• Thickening the soup with potato starch is optional. A thick consistency is nice when the weather is on the chilly side. Without any thickener, the soup would taste lighter and cleaner (as soup quickly disappears from your mouth), which would be more desirable on hot days.
• Potato starch tends to settle at the bottom after being mixed with water. Therefore, always mix again immediately before adding to hot soup.