Japanese-style mushroom broth with yuzu grilled prawns

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
10 to 30 mins

Serves
Serves 2

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the mushroom broth

1 anchovy fillet
1 large piece dried kombu
30g/1oz bonito flakes
1 tsp yuzu juice
1 bay leaf
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sake
1 skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
6 small-medium prawns in their shells
large handful assorted wild mushrooms, including enoki
1 Portobello mushroom, sliced
1 celery heart, centre leaves only (use the celery sticks for another dish)

For the yuzu grilled prawns

2 tbsp yuzu juice
2 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
1–2 tbsp mayonnaise
8–10 large prawns, shell on and deveined

To serve

1 tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tbsp togarashi (Japanese spice mixture)

Method

To make the mushroom broth, bring 1 litre/1¾ pint of water to the boil in a large saucepan with the anchovy and konbu. As soon as it starts to boil, add the bonito flakes and remove the piece of kombu. Boil for 5 minutes and turn off. Allow the bonito to settle before straining. Add the yuzu, bay leaf, soy sauce and sake to the broth and return to a simmer. Add the chicken, prawns and all the mushrooms and then simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with the celery leaves.
To make the yuzu grilled prawns, heat a grill or griddle pan until hot. Meanwhile, mix together the yuzu, mirin, soy sauce, garlic, ginger and mayonnaise in a bowl. Brush the prawns with this mixture and then chargrill for 5 minutes, or until cooked through.
To serve, spoon the broth into warm bowls and add the yuzu prawns. Garnish with black sesame seeds and togarashi.