Chanko Nabe (Sumo Wrestler Hot Pot)

Step 1

Soak the konbu in a bowl of water (you will use this water later).

Step 2

Bring water (not in ingredients) in a large pot to a boil, add the chicken carcass.

Step 3

When it starts boiling again and the surface of the chicken carcass becomes white, drain and rinse the chicken carcass well, removing guts and other brown bits.

Step 4

Add the chicken carcass and the konbu to the pot. Add 1000ml / 2.1pt water including the water from the konbu to the pot and bring it to a boil.

Step 5

Remove scum and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for minimum 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. Remove scum occasionally until no more brownish scum comes to the top.

Step 6

Put through a sieve. If the amount of broth is less than 750ml / 1.6pt, add water.

Step 7

Add all the Chanko Nabe Broth ingredients in a pot and bring it to a boil.

Step 8

Turn the heat off and leave until required.

Step 9

Bok choy: Remove outer leaves. Cut the central cluster of small leaves vertically to half or quarters depending on the thickness of the cluster. Wash well, particularly at the bottom of the stems where dirt collects. If the outer leaves are large, diagonally cut in half.

Step 10

Chinese cabbage: If the leaf and the stem is very wide, halve vertically, then slice leaves diagonally. To diagonally slice, place the stem-end to the left (for a right hander) on the cutting board. Place a knife diagonally tilted to the right and slice the leaf diagonally to 5cm / 2” long pieces, by placing a knife.

Step 11

Carrot: Cut a carrot to 5cm / 2” long, then slice vertically to 2-3mm / 1⁄16- ⅛” thick. If the rectangle is very wide, halve it vertically. Alternatively, slice the carrot diagonally.

Step 12

Shallot/Scallions: Diagonally cut to 5cm / 2” long.

Step 13

Shiitake mushrooms: Remove the stems. To decorate shiitake head (optional), make a shallow V-shape cut in the middle of the head, then another V-shape cut perpendicular to the first cut, making a cross (see the photo in the post).

Step 14

Enoki mushrooms: Trim the end of the stems that are woody. If mushrooms are stuck together at the bottom, divide it into smaller bunches.

Step 15

Place all the ingredients in a pot (note 3), clustering each ingredient together.

Step 16

Add the broth to the pot and heat the pot on a portable stove (note 4).

Step 17

Serve with small serving bowls.