Chilled Edamame Potage with Dish Symphony No.2

Dish Symphony No.2 is the blend in which cumin holds the largest single share. Its earthy aroma adds depth to the richness of the beans, while maqaw — a Taiwanese mountain pepper with a lemon-like aroma — lightens the finish. The blend is salt-free, so season with salt exactly as you usually would.

The edamame simmer for just one minute. Cooked longer, their green dulls — so stop the heat once they are warmed through, and let the blender and the refrigerator do the rest.

A bowl for those slow-appetite days just after the Obon holidays.

Total time: about 30 min

On top of this, it needs 3 hours to chill in the refrigerator.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• Dish Symphony No.2 1 tsp
• Edamame (in pods) 400 g (200 g net when shelled; 200 g of frozen shelled edamame also works)
• Onion 1/2
• Potato 1 (about 150 g)
• Water 300 ml
• Milk 300 ml
• Salt 1/2 tsp
• Oil 1 tbsp
• Heavy cream 2 tbsp (optional)

Preparation

1. Boil the edamame for about 4 minutes in water with a little salt (not included in the measurements above), then remove them from the pods. Slipping off the thin skins as well gives a cleaner color. Set aside about 2 tbsp for garnish. If using frozen shelled edamame, thaw according to the package instructions.
2. Slice the onion thinly, cutting across the grain.
3. Peel the potato, cut it into 1 cm half-moon slices, rinse briefly in water and drain.

Instructions

1. Put the oil (1 tbsp) in a pot over low heat, add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent. The point is not to let it brown — any browning dulls the green of the potage.
2. Add Dish Symphony No.2 (1 tsp) and cook for about 30 seconds, letting it blend into the onion and oil. Cumin's earthy aroma comes through fully when it meets the oil first.
3. Add the potato and the water (300 ml), bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the potato is soft.
4. Add the edamame (minus the garnish) and simmer for just 1 minute, then turn off the heat. Cooked longer, the green dulls — here you are only warming them through.
5. Let it cool slightly, then blend until smooth. If you have no blender, mash thoroughly with a masher and pass through a sieve.
6. Return to the pot and stir in the milk (300 ml) and salt (1/2 tsp). If it is too thick, thin it with milk, 1 tbsp at a time.
7. Once it has cooled, chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours.
8. Taste just before serving and adjust the salt. Chilling mutes saltiness, so add salt a pinch at a time if needed. Dish Symphony No.2 is salt-free, so season exactly as you usually would.
9. Pour into bowls and top with the reserved edamame. Drizzle with the cream if you like — it is just as delicious with nothing on top.

Store in the refrigerator and finish within about 2 days. Use a clean ladle when serving.