nabe

Japanese hot pots are satisfying, warm meals that you and your family treasure during the cold-weather months. Today's recipe is Mille-Feuille Nabe, one of the most popular hot pot recipes enjoyed&nbsp;at home in Japan.&nbsp;

Mille-Feuille Nabe

napa cabbage

1½ lb sliced pork belly

ginger ((2.5 cm))

dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more)

Tbsp sake

soy sauce

salt

green onion/scallion

Ponzu

Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese seven spice)

Gather all the ingredients.

Slice the ginger and thinly cut green onion/scallion. Keep the ginger on the side and put the green onion in a small serving bowl.

Cut the napa cabbage into quarters lengthwise. Without cutting the edge, wash the leaves carefully and drain well. Don’t throw away the leaves that naturally came off while rinsing. We’ll use these leaves later on.

Place each slice of pork belly between the napa cabbage leaves. If you have extra pork belly, you can put an additional slice in outer layers which have wide leaves. If the pork belly is too long for the napa cabbage, you can trim with a kitchen shear and place it in other parts of the napa cabbage.

Once the pork belly slices are nicely tucked in, cut the napa cabbage into 3-4 pieces, about 2 - 2 ¾ inches (5-7 cm).

Start packing the layers of napa cabbage/pork belly from the outer edges of donabe (or hot pot or regular pot) and work your way towards the center. The napa cabbage/pork belly layers should be packed tightly as they become loosen once it starts cooking.

If you don’t have enough layers, you might want to consider a smaller pot (remember the size of your napa cabbage and proportional pot size you used for next time) or place other ingredients in the center. Here I stuffed the center with napa cabbage leaves that came off while rinsing and cutting the napa cabbage. You can also put enoki mushrooms or shimeji mushrooms in the center.

Combine the soup ingredients (5 cups dashi, 2 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, slices of 1-inch ginger, and ½ tsp kosher salt). Don’t cut down on the salt as napa cabbage releases liquid when it&#x27;s being cooked and will dilute the soup a little bit.

Pour the soup into the pot and start cooking on high heat. Once boiling, skim the foam and fat on the surface. Then reduce the heat to medium-low heat and cook until napa cabbage is tender and pork belly is cooked through, roughly 8-10 minutes.

Serve hot with ponzu, green onion/scallion, and shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice).

Cozy up at your get-together with friends and family with this homemade Japanese sukiyaki recipe, served with seared marbled beef and a variety of vegetables cooked in a soy sauce broth.

Sukiyaki

udon noodles ((Typically added to the soup at the end of the meal))

head napa cabbage ((about 10 leaves

shungiku (Tong Ho/Garland Chrysanthemum) ((7 oz

Negi (long green onion) ((leek or 3 green onions))

mushrooms

shiitake mushrooms ((carve decorative shapes))

Yaki Tofu (Broiled Tofu) ((9 oz or 255 g))

carrot ((for decoration, optional))

noodles

lb thinly sliced beef (chuck

Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc) ((or beef fat

Tbsp brown sugar ((we use it

dashi (Japanese soup stock; click to learn more) ((to dilute the sauce;

sake ((240 ml))

mirin ((240 ml))

sugar ((60 ml))

soy sauce ((240 ml))

Combine 1 cup sake, 1 cup mirin, ¼ cup sugar, and 1 cup soy sauce in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat and set aside. This Sukiyaki sauce can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

To Make Sukiyaki Sauce

If your udon is frozen, cook it in boiling water until loosen. Remove from heat and soak in iced water to prevent overcooking them. Drain and transfer to a plate covered with plastic. You will not need it till the end of the sukiyaki meal.

Prepare sukiyaki ingredients. Cut napa cabbage into 2” (5 cm) wide then cut in half right at the middle of the white part.

Cut shungiku into 2” (5 cm) wide, and slice Tokyo negi. Discard the bottom part of enoki and tear into smaller bundles.

Discard the shiitake stem and decorate the top of shiitake if you like.

Cut tofu into smaller pieces (I usually cut into 6-8 pieces).

If you like, you can slice some carrots and then stamp them into a floral shape for decoration.

Drain and rinse the shirataki noodles (sorry no photo). Put all the ingredients on one big platter for the table or into smaller individual servings.

To Prepare the Ingredients

Set a portable gas cooktop at the dining table. Each person should have a medium-sized bowl where the cooked food is being transfered to from the pot. Heat a cast iron sukiyaki pot (or any pot) on medium heat. When it’s hot, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil (or beef fat).

Place 2-4 slices of well-marbled beef to sear and sprinkle 1 Tbsp brown sugar. Flip and cook the other side of the meat. You can pour a little bit of Sukiyaki Sauce over the meat and enjoy some (or all) of the sweet and nicely caramelized meat now (this is to enjoy the good quality meat), and continue to the next step.

To Cook Sukiyaki

Pour half of the Sukiyaki Sauce you made (1 ⅓ cup) and 1 cup dashi (or water) in the pot.

Add vegetables, tofu, and other ingredients to the pot (keep the udon for later). Add more Sukiyaki Sauce or dashi (or water) if necessary. The ⅔ of the ingredients should be submerged in the broth. Put the lid on and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, turn down the heat and simmer until the ingredients are cooked through. Once ingredients are cooked through, you can add more beef as beef will cook fast. Enjoy the first round of sukiyaki. If the sauce gets too salty (from evaporating), add dashi (or water) to dilute. If the vegetables diluted the sauce too much, then add more sukiyaki sauce.

The First Round of Sukiyaki

When there is less cooked food in the pot, divide the leftover into individual bowls. Then start cooking the second round by adding more ingredients to the pot (repeat the previous step). While the second round of sukiyaki is being cooked, you can enjoy the leftover from the first pot or any side dishes.

The Second/Third Round of Sukiyaki (Optional)

We usually end the sukiyaki meal with udon. When most of the ingredients have disappeared, add udon to the pot. Cook until heated through and enjoy.

To End the Meal

Cure your winter blues with a steamy pot of Japanese Kimchi Nabe. Made with anchovy broth, kimchi, pork belly and vegetables, this soup pot is hot and sour with a good kick of spice that warms you right up!

Kimchi Nabe

lb kimchi ((454 g; cut if necessary))

bean sprouts

onion

½-1 pack medium-firm tofu

cabbage

Negi (long green onion) ((or 3 green onions/scallions))

carrot

garlic chives (Chinese chives

pack enoki mushrooms

pork

Tbsp sesame oil (roasted)

dashi (Japanese soup stock; click

Tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)

tsp gochugaru (Korean pepper flakes)

Tbsp sugar

Tbsp kimchi juice ((60 ml))

Tbsp miso ((I use awase miso))

⅓ oz kombu (dried kelp) ((12 g, about 3x4"))

water ((960 ml))

This is an extra step and not everyone follows this method, but I highly recommend to remove the head and guts from the anchovies to reduce the bitter flavor in dashi (Watch this video).

Clean the kombu with a damp cloth (but don&#x27;t wipe off the white powder - that&#x27;s umami!). In a small saucepan, put 4 cups water, kombu, and anchovies.

Bring it to boil on low heat. It’s best to slowly infuse water with kombu and anchovies. Once boiling, cover and keep on low heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Once you are done simmering dashi, strain through a fine sieve. Discard anchovies and kombu (Or make candied anchovies and simmered kombu (cook with soy sauce + sake + mirin/sugar)), and set aside the dashi.

Make Dashi:

Meanwhile, start prepping ingredients. Thinly slice the onion. Cut tofu into small blocks.

Cut napa cabbage into 2” (5 cm) pieces widthwise (cut from bottom to leafy side). The bottom part of napa cabbage is thicker so cut these pieces into smaller pieces lengthwise (See how I do it in the video).

Slice the Tokyo Negi (or green onions/scallions) diagonally into ½“ (1.3 cm) pieces and slice the carrot diagonally into ¼” (0.6 mm).

Cut garlic chives into 2” (5 cm) pieces. Discard the bottom of enoki mushrooms and loosen them up.

Rinse bean sprouts and place all the vegetable ingredients on a plate. Cut the sliced pork belly into 2” (5 cm) pieces and set aside.

Prepare Ingredients:

In a large donabe (4-5 serving) or pot, heat 1 Tbsp. sesame oil over medium-low heat and add the sliced pork belly. Stir fry the meat until no longer pink.

Add kimchi and onion and stir fry for 5 minutes.

Then add 1 Tbsp. sake and 1 Tbsp. gochujang.

Add 1 tsp gochugaru and 1 Tbsp sugar and mix it all together.

Add kimchi juice and dashi and make sure it’s mixed evenly.

Cover and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes.

Add 1 Tbsp. soy sauce and 1 Tbsp miso. Mix all together and make sure the miso is completely dissolved.

Add the rest of ingredients and cover to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until all the ingredients are tender.

Taste the soup and add kosher salt if necessary (I added about ½ tsp). Each miso has different saltiness so you really need to taste the soup to adjust the flavor.

Make Kimchi Nabe:

Fast, easy Hot Pot for One. Tender pork belly cooked in a delicious and savory katsuo dashi with napa cabbage and enoki mushrooms. Inspired by Midnight Diner Japanese drama.

Hot Pot for One

katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) ((10 g))

water ((480 ml))

pork ((Skip

oz medium-firm tofu ((60 g))

oz enoki mushrooms ((¼ pkg enoki

tsp sake

Boil water in a medium saucepan.  When boiling, add katsuobushi.

Cook for 15 seconds.  Turn off the heat and let the katsuobushi infused for 15 minutes. &nbsp;Strain the katsuobushi and set aside.

To Make Katsuo Dashi (Use Kombu Dashi for Vegan)

Cut the napa cabbage into smaller pieces.

Cut and discard the bottom of enoki mushrooms. &nbsp;Cut the tofu into smaller ½” slices. &nbsp;Cut the pork belly slices into halves or thirds.

Place the ingredients in the&nbsp;donabe (earthenware pot) and pack nicely. Pour Katsuo Dashi and sake.

Cover the lid and bring to simmer.  Skim the foam and scrum with a fine mesh skimmer. Cook for 5 minutes and serve immediately with Ponzu and Shichimi Togarashi.

To Make Hot Pot

Mizutaki is a Japanese Chicken Hot Pot in which chicken, assorted vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu are cooked in a light kombu dashi broth. Dip the freshly cooked ingredients in the savory and citrusy ponzu sauce. It&#x27;s one of the best wintery foods to enjoy!

Mizutaki (Japanese Chicken Hot Pot)

Negi (long green onion)

carrot ((3.5 oz, 100 g))

Mizuna

medium-firm tofu ((14 oz, 397 g))

maitake mushrooms ((3.5 oz, 100 g; or other mushrooms))

shimeji mushrooms ((3.5 oz, 100 g; or other mushrooms))

bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

boneless, skinless chicken thighs ((1 lb, 454 g))

water ((1200 ml))

kombu (dried kelp) ((0.2 oz, 5 g, 3 x 3 inches))

sake

ginger

ponzu

green onions/scallions ((chopped))

yuzu kosho

In a large donabe (earthenware pot, or any large, shallow pot), add 5 cups water and kombu to make cold brew kombu dashi. Set aside while you prep the chicken.

To Make Kombu Dashi

Use a butcher knife, cut the bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs into 2-inch bite sizes. You can ask the butcher to cut into smaller pieces as well.

Cut the boneless skinless chicken thighs into smaller bite size pieces (roughly 2” x 2”).

Fill a medium pot with water and add the bone-in, skin-on chicken thigh pieces. Turn the heat on medium-low.

Bring the water to a boil and cook for 1 minute and discard the water. Rinse the chicken, especially around the bone area, under lukewarm water. Don’t use cold water as the fat will solidify. Once the chicken is rinsed, put them on a plate.

To Prepare the Chicken

In the cold brew kombu dashi, add the chicken thigh pieces you just rinsed.

Also add the boneless, skinless chicken thigh pieces, 2 Tbsp sake, and 2 slices ginger.

Bring it to a boil over medium heat.

Once boiling, skim the scum and foam that rise to the surface of the broth. Discard the kombu.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook covered for 20-30 minutes. During this time, start preparing other ingredients (vegetables, etc). After 30 minutes, remove and discard the ginger slices. Keep the pot covered. If you’re preparing ahead of time, you can keep it for 1-2 hours at room temperature until you’re ready to serve.

To Cook the Chicken

Cut the napa cabbage into smaller bites and place them on a large platter.

Cut the long green onion (negi) diagonally into ½-inch thickness.

Peel and discard the outer skin of the carrot. Then thinly peel the carrot into thin strips.

Cut the mizuna into 2-inch pieces and cut the tofu into 9 pieces.

Discard the bottom of the maitake mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms.

Place all the chopped ingredients on a big platter or several plates. When the hot pot broth is ready, you can bring them to the table and have everyone cook together.

To Prepare Hot Pot Ingredients (While Cooking the Chicken)

From the platter of ingredients, you can add tough/dense ingredients first. Add the napa cabbage, mostly the tough white parts. Then add tofu, mushrooms, and long green onion.

Add the carrot strips in the middle and cover to cook for 10 minutes.

Open the lid and add leafy vegetables which will cook for a few minutes until tender and fully cooked.

Add a little ponzu sauce in a small bowl, and if you like, add green onion, yuzu kosho, and shichimi togarashi. Dip the cooked ingredients in the ponzu before eating. As you eat the cooked ingredients, continue to add the raw ingredients to the pot and simmer them until fully cooked. Enjoy!

To Cook Mizutaki (at the table)

A classic winter comfort dish in Japan, Oden is a one-pot dish with an assortment of fish balls, fish cakes, deep-fried tofu, hard-boiled eggs, konnyaku and some vegetables simmered in soy sauce-based dashi broth.

Oden

Tbsp usukuchi (light-color) soy sauce ((It’s not a low-sodium soy sauce))

Tbsp soy Sauce

mirin

daikon radish

large eggs (50 g each w/o shell)

Nishime Kombu (dried seaweed)

oz Octopus Sashimi ((4 oz, 113 g; optional))

pkg konnyaku (konjac)

Negi (long green onion) ((chopped, optional))

aburaage (deep-fried tofu pouch) ((for mochi packets))

kirimochi

karashi mustard

In a donabe (earthenware pot), make dashi (Japanese soup stock) and add Seasonings.

Slice daikon into 1-inch pieces and remove the skin (you can peel first with a peeler too).

Remove the corners (Mentori technique) so that there are no sharp edges. This will prevent daikon from breaking into pieces.

If you prepare rice to serve with Oden, preserve the white water from cleaning rice. Put daikon and the white water in a small pot and start cooking until a skewer goes through (do not cover the lid). In Japan, we say the rice water will get rid of bitterness and bad smell from daikon and the water also makes daikon beautiful white color. Make sure to cook daikon from cold water so the center of daikon gets cooked slowly before boiling and that will help cook daikon evenly.

Boil eggs (cook egg from the water, after boiling set timer for 12 minutes, run cold water and peel off shell).

Cut Nishime Kombu into short pieces and quickly rinse the coating in running water. Make a knot like below.

Cut and skewer the octopus.

Cut konnyaku into smaller pieces. Typically triangle shape like below.

Add the konnyaku in water and bring it to a boil. After boiling, cook for 1 minute and drain. Set aside.

Put water in a big pot and bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add Nerimono (Japanese fish cakes and fish balls) in boiling water to get rid of excess oil from them – just for 15-30 seconds. Drain and set aside. Cut big pieces into halves. Do the second batch if Nerimono didn’t fit in a pot.

Make mochi-filled tofu bags. Quickly run aburaage (fried bean curd) in boiling water to remove excess oil. Drain and cut in half. Cut mochi into half. Open one side of Aburaage so you can put mochi in it. Use a toothpick or kombu to tie the aburaage so the mochi won&#x27;t fall out during the cooking process.

Put everything except for Nerimono and mochi bag in the donabe and cook covered over low heat for 2-3 hours minimum. Skim off the scum and fat along the way.

Add Nerimono and mochi bag and cook for 30 minutes (or longer) over low heat.

Cover and reheat when you are ready to serve. I usually let them soak for overnight (after cool down, keep in the fridge) and eat the next day. Oden is often served with Karashi (hot mustard).

{Vegan Adaptable} Loaded with vegetables, mushrooms, and tofu, this Japanese Sesame Miso Hot Pot is the perfect dish to whip up when you have friends and family over. The broth is made with kombu and shiitake dashi seasoned with savory miso and sesame seeds. It will warm you right up!

Top 9 nabe recipes from across the web

The most viewed nabe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Mille-Feuille Nabe

Sukiyaki

Kimchi Nabe

Hot Pot for One

Mizutaki (Japanese Chicken Hot Pot)

Oden

Sesame Miso Hot Pot (Goma Miso Nabe...

Soy Milk Hot Pot

Black Cod and Soy Milk Hot Pot (Ton...

Top 9 nabe recipes from across the web

The most viewed nabe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Mille-Feuille Nabe

Sukiyaki

Kimchi Nabe

Hot Pot for One

Mizutaki (Japanese Chicken Hot Pot)

Oden

Sesame Miso Hot Pot (Goma Miso Nabe...

Soy Milk Hot Pot

Black Cod and Soy Milk Hot Pot (Ton...

The most viewed nabe recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine