Zoni (New Year's Soup) Passed Down from My Beloved Father

Preface

Every year on New Year's Eve, there is one thing I always do: prepare the ingredients for zoni.
I have been following the way my father, who passed away 17 years ago, used to do it every year, learning by watching him.

It suddenly occurred to me that since he passed away at 83, this year marks the 100th anniversary of his birth!
Time flies. If he were still alive, he would be 100 years old on August 20th of this year. Now, more than ever, I truly wish I had been a better son to him while he was alive.

The flavor passed down from my father is the taste of our family's zoni.
My daughter, who has married and moved away, has also taken over making the zoni I prepare, so it is a flavor that has spanned three generations.
I hope this flavor, filled with heart, will continue to be passed down.

Now, let's get to the main topic.

Our Family's Zoni

Since this is a man's home cooking, please forgive the lack of precise measurements and the rough nature of the recipe.

1. The Base Broth
Fill a large pot about 80% full with cold water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add two chicken carcasses.
After boiling for about 20 minutes, turn the heat to low and simmer for about two hours, then turn off the heat, cover, and let it sit for a while.

2. Ingredients
(1) Cut 1 daikon radish and 3 carrots into ginkgo-leaf shapes.
(2) Cut 3 burdock roots into slightly thick shavings (sasagaki).
(3) Wash the spinach with water.
(4) Cut about 6 large shiitake mushrooms into quarters.

1. Put water into three medium-sized pots, add the root vegetables from (1) and (2) into each, and boil them until slightly firm. Always start boiling from cold water. Remove the excess heat with cold water, transfer to a colander, and drain.
2. Add (3) to a large pot once the water is boiling. Once it becomes slightly soft, transfer to a colander and drain. After boiling, cool with cold water, align the stems, squeeze out the water with both hands, cut off the root ends, and cut the rest into 3cm lengths.
3. Add (4) to a small pot once the water is boiling. Once soft, strain with a colander. The cooking liquid is a good stock, so let it cool and store it for use in other simmered dishes.
4. Once (1), (2), (3), and (4) are mostly drained, pack each into plastic bags and store in the refrigerator.

3. Aromatics and Garnishes
(1) Cut the mitsuba (Japanese parsley) into 1cm lengths.
(2) Thinly shave the peel of the yuzu and mince it.
(3) Slice the narutomaki (fish cake) into slightly diagonal rounds.

4. Seasoning the Broth
Add soy sauce to the broth simmered in step 1 and bring to a boil.
By the way, I used to use soy sauce from a major nationwide manufacturer, but a long time ago, I tried the sweet-style Iizuka Soy Sauce from Toyama, my wife's hometown, and I've become so accustomed to this flavor that I can't stop using it.
It has become a New Year's Eve tradition for me to take out the chicken carcasses every year and gnaw on them as a snack with my drinks.
This, too, is something I learned from my father.

Everything up to this point must be finished by New Year's Eve night.

4. When New Year's Day Arrives
(1) Transfer the necessary amount of broth prepared in step 3 from the large pot to a small pot, bring to a boil, and add the necessary amount of chicken, prepared daikon, carrots, burdock, and shiitake, then bring to a boil once more.
(2) Toast the homemade mochi in a toaster.
(3) Place (1) in a bowl, top with (2), and add the prepared spinach, narutomaki, yuzu, and mitsuba. It's ready!

Even though I have heard that there are various types of zoni depending on the region and the household, I have never eaten any other kind. Or rather, I have never had the opportunity to do so.
In any case, my family loves this flavor and is very happy with it, so I don't think I will ever change it.

Thank you, Dad.

#MyFamilyOzoni