Mashed Potato Soup With Wasabi And Chives

4 from 2 ratings

Acclaimed Chef Masaharu Morimoto, perhaps best known as the star of Iron Chef and Iron Chef America, is known throughout the world for his seamless integration of Western and Japanese ingredients and techniques. This Thanksgiving, he has some great tips and recipes for how to utilize your leftover ingredients to create a delicious, next-day dish: “Use your leftover ingredients and incorporate unique and interesting additions to make the dish seem exciting and new,” says Chef Morimoto. For his leftover recipe, he recommends Mashed Potato Soup with wasabi and chives. This dish uses the leftover potatoes that you already have for Thanksgiving dinner, and incorporates new, Asian ingredients to keep guests excited about the dish.

Servings

servings

Ingredients

1 large baking potato, such as idaho or russet
12 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup half-and-half
4 cup dashi
2 tablespoon sake
3 tablespoon light-colored soy sauce
salt
1 ounce caviar, optional
freshly grated wasabi and finely sliced chives, preferable baby chives for garnish
1 piece of dashi kombu, 4 x 6 inches
4 cup filtered spring water
1/2 cup loosely packed bonito flakes

Directions

Prick the potato in a couple of places. Steam over boiling water until the potato is tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool, then peel off the skin. Press the potato through a ricer or a wire sieve set over a medium saucepan, scraping with a rubber spatula to pass it all through. In a small saucepan, combine the butter and half-and-half. Warm over medium heat until the butter melts and the liquid is steaming but not simmering. **Can also use leftover mashed potatoes. Place the saucepan of mashed potatoes over low heat. Slowly whisk in the hot butter and half-and-half until the potatoes are thick and smooth. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. Quickly bring the Dashi, sake, and soy sauce to a boil over high heat. Spoon equal amounts of the mashed potatoes into 4 soup bowls. Gently ladle the hot Dashi over and around the potatoes. Top with a spoonful of caviar if you have it. Garnish with the grated wasabi and chives. Serve immediately.
The night before using the dashi, wipe the kombu clean with a wet kitchen towel to remove any grit, but do not rub off the white powder; much of the flavor lies in its natural MSG. Place in a medium saucepan and add the spring water. Let stand at room temperature overnight. The next day, remove the kombu and bring the water to a simmer over medium heat. When it reaches a boil, remove from heat and add the bonito flakes. Let stand until the bonito flakes sink to the bottom of the saucepan, about 15 minutes. Line a wire sieve with moistened, squeezed dry cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Strain the dashi through the sieve. Use the dashi within a couple hours of making.