Saimin

Preparation

1. For the Saimin Dashi

   1. Step 1

      In a large pot on high, combine 6 quarts of water with scallions, onion, daikon, carrot, cabbage, kombu, dried shrimp and mushrooms. Once simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a bare simmer and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes.

   2. Step 2

      Add soy sauce, instant dashi, salt and peppercorns. Taste, adjusting seasoning to your discretion. The dashi should be thin — it won’t have body like a bone broth — but flavorful and umami-rich.

   3. Step 3

      Strain solids, then chill and freeze or use immediately for saimin.

2. For the (optional) Wontons

   1. Step 4

      In a bowl, mix together the pork, scallions, oyster sauce, black pepper, sesame oil, soy sauce and salt until well combined. To test for seasoning, cook a small piece of the pork mixture. Adjust seasoning, if needed.

   2. Step 5

      Assemble the wontons: Fill a small bowl with water. Scoop 1 scant tablespoon of the pork mixture and place it in the center of a wonton wrapper. Using your fingertip, wet the borders of the wrapper with a little water and fold the wonton in half so it’s shaped like a triangle, encasing the filling and gently pressing out any air. Carefully poke the filled flat side of the triangle, creating a slight crease in the center. Take the ends of the two opposite corners and bring them together over the filling, overlapping and sealing them together with more water.

   3. Step 6

      Repeat, placing the wontons on a sheet pan and covering them with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out. (You may not use all the wrappers.) Freeze to boil and eat later or reserve for saimin.

   4. Step 7

      When ready to cook: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carefully add wontons, in batches if necessary. Stir gently to make sure none are sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the wontons have floated to the top, about 2 minutes, let cook for another 15 seconds, then use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a sheet pan or plate. Toss cooked wontons with a little sesame oil to keep them from sticking. Set aside until ready to use.

3. For the Fluffy Dashi Eggs

   1. Step 8

      Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Season the water with salt and a dash of soy sauce. Using a pair of chopsticks, carefully swirl the boiling water in one direction and drizzle in the eggs. The eggs should almost immediately cook and have a fluffy texture. Remove the eggs with a strainer, drain well and set aside until ready to use.

4. For the Saimin

   1. Step 9

      Warm up the saimin dashi, so it’s hot but not scalding.

   2. Step 10

      Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If using wontons and you haven’t cooked them ahead of time, you can cook them at the same time as the noodles.

   3. Step 11

      For each serving, add a bunch of cooked noodles to a wide noodle bowl and finish it with the toppings: a few slices of char siu, 1 or 2 slices of kamaboko, a scattering of scallions, a big spoonful of fluffy dashi eggs, and 2 or 3 wontons (if using).

   4. Step 12

      Ladle some of the saimin dashi into the bowl and slurp while hot.