dobin mushi — Japan

Dobin mushi is a Japanese steamed broth named after the dobin, the small earthenware teapot in which it is both cooked and served. A delicate dashi is poured over pieces of matsutake mushroom, shrimp and chicken inside the pot, which is then steamed gently so the ingredients release their flavour into the broth without ever coming to a hard boil. The dish is reported from Japan, where matsutake mushroom is prized for its season and its strong, distinctive aroma, and dobin mushi is built specifically to let that aroma carry through a clear broth rather than compete with it. It is typically offered in autumn, when matsutake is in season, at restaurants that serve refined multi-course meals. To prepare it, dashi is seasoned lightly with soy sauce and a little mirin or salt, kept clear rather than thickened. Thin slices of matsutake, a peeled shrimp and a small piece of chicken are placed into the teapot along with a few slices of stem vegetable such as mitsuba or ginkgo nut, then the seasoned dashi is poured over them and the lid set on. The teapot is steamed for a short time, just long enough to cook the shrimp and chicken through and warm the mushroom, then served as is with a wedge of lime or a few drops of its juice added at the table, and drunk directly from the spout before the solid pieces are eaten with chopsticks. This version keeps to the pared-back combination of matsutake, shrimp and chicken in a clear dashi, letting each guest add lime juice to taste, since the exact vegetables added alongside the three main ingredients vary from one kitchen to another.