Lentil Miso Soup with Bacon Sabayon

Ingredients

• Two 6-inch squares of kombu (dried seaweed; see Note on page 198)
• 1 ounce dried shiitake mushrooms
• crumbled
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 small onion
• finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot
• finely chopped
• 1 medium celery rib
• finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove
• minced
• 1 1/4 cups French lentils
• rinsed
• 1/2 cup shiro miso (light yellow)
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup peeled and cubed (1/2-inch cubes) celery root
• 4 ounces slab bacon
• thinly sliced and cut into fine matchsticks
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

Instructions

1. Make the Soup In a large pot, combine the kombu with 10 cups of water and bring just to a simmer.
2. Cover and let stand off the heat for 10 minutes.
3. Discard the kombu.
4. Add the shiitake to the pot along with the bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns and bring to a boil.
5. Cover and let stand off the heat for 10 minutes.
6. Strain the dashi (broth) into a heatproof bowl; you should have 8 cups.
7. Discard the solids and wipe out the pot.
8. In the same pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil.
9. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook over low heat until softened, about 8 minutes.
10. Add the lentils and the 8 cups of dashi and bring to a boil.
11. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour.
12. Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor with the miso until smooth.
13. Return the soup to the pot; add a few tablespoons of water if it is very thick.
14. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
15. In a medium skillet, melt the butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil.
16. Add the celery root, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender and lightly browned, about 7 minutes.
17. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
18. Make the Bacon In the same skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crispy, 5 to 6 minutes.
19. Strain the fat into a heatproof bowl and reserve 3 tablespoons.
20. Drain the bacon on paper towels.
21. large heatproof bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 11/2 teaspoons of warm water.
22. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and whisk the eggs constantly until thick and ribbony, about 5 minutes.
23. Whisk the 3 tablespoons of reserved bacon fat into the sabayon in a thin stream and cook until thick and billowy, about 1 minute.
24. Gradually whisk in the cider vinegar and soy sauce and whisk for about 1 minute longer.
25. Serve the soup in shallow bowls and garnish with the celery root, sabayon and crispy bacon.