Yose Nabe (Hot pot with assorted ingredients)
Standard Japanese “Nabe” (hot pot) with the flavorful broth
Ingredients
(for medium-size Classic-style Donabe) - 2-3 servings
1/2 to 2/3 pound Cod filets (black cod is preferred), cut into pieces
1/2 package tofu, cut into cubes
4 shiitake mushrooms
1-2 abura-age (fried pressed tofu), blanched
1 package enoki mushrooms
1/2 carrot, sliced into thin disks
1/2 napa or savoy cabbage
1 package shirataki konnyaku (devil’s yam jelly) noodles, blanched
*and/ or other choices of ingredients such as meat, mizuna, shungiku (crown daisy), blanched gobo (burdock root), onion, etc. There’s no strict rules about what should be cooked in Yose Nabe.
1.5 liters (1.5 quarts) dashi stock, plus extra half liter for replenishment
*It’s good to make extra dashi stock, so that you can add to the donabe when the broth is reduced too low.
1/2 cup sake
5 tablespoons light soy sauce
4 tablespoons mirin
*Let more of these ingredients ready, in case you need more broth.
“Yakumi” or Condiments, such as scallions, grated ginger, yuzu kosho, black pepper.
(for “Shime” or to finish the meal - optional)
1.5 cups of cooked rice
2 eggs, whisked
Procedure
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1.Season the cod with salt. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.
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2.In the donabe, heat 1.5 liters of dashi stock to simmer. Add the sake, mirin and soy sauce.
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3.Once the broth starts simmering again, bring the donabe over to (portable) burner on the table-top and start cooking various ingredients. (*Tip: Add the ingredients which requires the longer time to cook/ absorb the broth flavors first..such as napa cabbage, shirataki noodles, abura-age.)
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4.Once everything in the donabe is cooked, enjoy with the broth and condiments. You can continue to cook as you eat until you are full or the ingredients are gone. Replenish the donabe with more broth and seasonings as necessary.
(For “Shime” or to finish the meal - Optional)
After cooking all the ingredients, the broth becomes really rich and deep in flavor. It’s a great idea to take advantage of this precious broth to make a rice or noodle dish with it.
Making “Ojiya” (soupy rice porridge)
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1.Make sure there is enough amount of the broth left in the donabe. If the broth is reduced down too low, add the reserved dashi broth and adjust the seasoning with a little more sake/ soy sauce/ mirin.
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2.Add the cooked rice (if it’s cold, re-heat with the microwave) and gently stir so that the rice grains separate in the broth. For the soupier-style, the volume of the rice should be 1/2 to 2/3 of the broth.
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3.Drizzle the eggs over the rice and simmer for about 1 minute (or longer if you like to fully cook the eggs). Close with the lid, turn off the heat, and let it sit for another 1-2 minutes.
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4.Enjoy with your choice of “Yakumi”, such as shichimi, ground sesame seeds and scallion.
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With the portable stove top, you can enjoy cooking with a group table-top.
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Cook and serve a small amount at a time for everyone.
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You can also save some of the ingredients and add to your “ojiya”.
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Ojiya with condiments, served in a bowl.
