Hokkaido Salmon Hot Pot (Ishikari Nabe)

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients.

Step 2

In a large pot (I use a donabe), soak the kombu in water and set it aside. To extract more flavor, you can do this step several hours in advance (up to overnight; but keep it cool or store it in the refrigerator if you live in a hot environment).

Step 3

Check to see if there are any bones left in the salmon fillets. Remove if you find them (I use fish bone tweezers). Cut the fillets into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces and ½-inch thickness.

Step 4

Season both sides of the salmon with salt. Keep it refrigerated while you prepare other ingredients.

Step 5

Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters. Then soak them in water to remove starch.

Step 6

Cut the daikon radish in quarters lengthwise, and then cut them into ⅜-inch (1 cm) slices.

Step 7

Cut the onion into wedges and set aside.

Step 8

Cut the corn into 4 pieces and set aside.

Step 9

Cut half the cabbage in half (so now ¼ of the whole cabbage) and discard the core by slicing it off. Then cut the cabbage into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces and set aside.

Step 10

With a vegetable peeler, remove the outer skin of the carrot. Then using the same peeler, continue to peel the carrot. Alternatively, you can slice the carrot into ½-inch (1.3 cm) thickness. Set aside.

Step 11

Discard the bottom ends of chrysanthemum leaves. Cut them into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces and set them aside.

Step 12

Discard the stem of shiitake mushrooms. You can add a decorative flower cut.

Step 13

Cut the negi diagonally into ½-inch (1.3 cm) thickness. Cut the tofu into bite-size pieces.

Step 14

In a small bowl, combine miso, sake, mirin, and soy sauce and mix it all together.

Step 15

The kombu in the donabe should be rehydrated in water (this is kombu dashi). Add potatoes, daikon radish, and corn into the broth.

Step 16

Cover the donabe and bring the broth to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Discard the kombu (you can repurpose the used kombu to make simmered kombu or homemade furikake rice seasoning).

Step 17

Cover and continue to cook for 10-15 minutes until a wooden skewer goes through daikon radish.

Step 18

Add ⅔ of the miso sauce into the hot pot broth and mix well. Keep the rest of the miso sauce and add it to the broth after everything is cooked through.

Step 19

Taste the broth. If you want a stronger miso flavor, add more miso. Instead of dropping the miso into the broth, take out a small portion of the broth into a bowl, add miso, and let it dissolve completely before returning back to the broth. Season the broth with salt to your taste.

Step 20

Set up the table with a portable stove, platters of ingredients, individual bowls, and cooking utensils (long chopsticks, a ladle, and a fine-mesh skimmer). Add some of the ingredients to the donabe and cover to cook for 10 minutes.

Step 21

Once all the ingredients are cooked through, add the rest of the miso sauce and put the butter on top. Pick up the cooked ingredients and serve in individual bowls to enjoy. Sprinkle sansho pepper to your taste. Once the hot pot is almost empty, add the next batch of ingredients and continue cooking and eating.

Step 22

You can keep the leftover salmon hot pot in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for 2 days.