Nakami Nu Shimun (Nakami No Suimono) Opu Soup

Mrs. Yasuko Takamine

Serves: 10

• 2-2½ lbs. opu (pork stomach)
• 1 lb. lean pork
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1½ oz. shiitake (dried mushrooms), soaked in 2 cups warm water for 20 minutes
• ⅓ cup shoyu
• 3 qts. water
• ½ tsp. msg

Bring 1 qt. water to a boil. Add pork and chicken breasts. Skim and cook 30 minutes. Meanwhile, clean opu by removing fatty tissues and rubbing with Hawaiian (rock) salt; scrape inner stomach with knife. Place in another pan of rapidly boiling water (may add slivered or crushed ginger or orange skin) and boil for 5 minutes. Drain water and rub opu with Hawaiian salt. Rinse, pat dry, and saute in a large shallow pan or wok. Cool and scrape with knife under running water. Wash and cut across the grain into julienne slices. (Be sure opu is clean or it will give off an unpleasant odor.)

Remove pork and chicken from stock to cool. Add water and bring stock to a boil again and add sliced opu to stock. Cook for 1½ hours. Cut mushrooms into julienne slices and strain liquid into stock. Cut pork and chicken (with the grain) into julienne slices. Add shoyu to the cooking opu; cook for 1 hour. Ten minutes before serving, add pork, chicken and mushrooms, msg; heat through and serve hot.