Potato Chowder with Miso Broth

HS: A couple of tips. Whether you're using green lentils or mung beans, cook them through, but not to the point where they're falling apart. Also, the chile oil (Chunky La-Yu) really pulls everything together - highly recommend that component!

1 small head of broccoli florets
sea salt, to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sake
2 1/4 cups water
3 medium new potatoes, cut in sixths

2 tablespoons miso or sweet white miso
1 3/4 cups whole milk or soy milk
1 1/4 cups cooked green lentils

to serve: sliced green onions, lots of lemon (Meyer) peel, chile oil (or Chunky La-Yu*), brown rice

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Salt well, and blanch the broccoli florets until bright green, about thirty seconds or so. Drain, run under cold water to stop the cooking, shake off excess water, and set aside.

In a medium-large pot melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion are soft, about 8 minutes. You want to avoid browning. Stir in the flour, and allow to cook for another minute or so before stirring in the sake. Gradually add the water, a bit at a time, to avoid clumping. Add the potatoes, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are cooked completely through.

Put the miso in a medium bowl, add a splash of milk, and whisk to thin out the miso. Add the rest of the milk and continue to stir to incorporate the miso. Add this to the pot, stir in the lentils, and heat just shy of a simmer. Taste, and add more salt - there is a wide range of saltiness when it comes to miso, so I err on the conservative side here, you'll likely need more salt to bring the flavors into focus. Stir in the broccoli.

Serve with a load of sliced green onions on top, and any other toppings. The photos show the chowder served with brown rice, and the Chunky La-Yu chile sauce from the Donabe book - recipe below.

Serves 4.

Chunky La-Yu

HS note: I've made this a few times now, and in a pinch you can certainly use almond butter or even peanut butter if you don't have almonds on hand.

2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 medium shallot, quartered
1 green onion
1 generous tablespoon of almonds

1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground chiles (such as Korean gochugaru, or I had arbol chiles on hand, and ground them with a mortar and pestle)

1 teaspoon raw brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sansho pepper, optional
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried red chile flakes
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon shoyu or soy sauce

Combine the garlic, ginger, shallot, white part of the green onion, and almonds in a food processor. Pulse until very finely minced, but not pureed.

Combine those ingredients with the rest of the ingredients, minus the shoyu, in a saucepan and set over medium-low heat. As soon as it comes to a gentle simmer, turn down the heat to low until tiny bubbles appear on the surface and you hear a subtle sound. Slowly cook to infuse, not fry, the ingredients for 8 to 10 minutes or until the mixture is aromatic, stirring a few times along the way. Turn off the heat, and stir in the shoyu or soy sauce and let the mixture cool completely (or if you're impatient, you can serve it warm).

Makes ~ 1 cup.

Adapted from Donabe: Classic and Modern Clay Japanese Clay Pot Cooking by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton. (Ten Speed Press)

Prep time: 10 minutes - Cook time: 20 minutes

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