Japanese•healthy

Nabe (Yosenabe/Japanese Hot Pot)

Nabe or nabemono is Japanese hot pot. This is a classic Yosenabe recipe made of chicken, seafood, tofu, vegetables in dashi broth.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

8 cups water
2 pieces kombu (6 x 6-inch (15cm x 15cm))
1 1/2 oz (45g) dried shaved bonito
4 cups dashi
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 chicken leg and thigh (boned, skinned, and cut into bite-size pieces)
1/2 lb (250g) napa cabbage (sliced)
1 oz (30g) harusame (or cellophane noodles, soaked in water for 15 minutes)
1/2 package firm tofu (cut into 4 pieces)
4 clams
4 head-on shrimp
4 large scallops
1/2 lb (250g) red snapper (or sea bass fillet, cut into 1-inch (2.5cm) slices)
1 negi (sliced on an angle into 2-inch (5cm) pieces)
1 bunch spinach (rinsed and cut into 2-inch (5cm) bundle)
3 oz (90g) fresh shiitake mushrooms (or enoki mushrooms or oyster mushrooms)
1/2 medium carrot (peeled and cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces, then thinly sliced lengthwise)

1
Add the water and kombu to a stockpot and let it steep for 30 minutes.
2
Place the stockpot over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Remove the kombu and add the bonito, stirring once to mix it in. As soon as the liquid boils again, decrease the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove any scum that appears on the surface.
3
Turn off the heat and let the liquid steep for 15 minutes. Strain it through a fine sieve or cheesecloth. Don't squeeze the bonito flakes, as this will make the dashi cloudy. Discard the bonito flakes after use.
4
Prepare the broth by combining the dashi, mirin, and soy sauce. Set aside.
5
Place the cabbage on the bottom of the nabe pot. On top of the cabbage, add the harusame, tofu, clams, shrimp, scallops, red snapper, chicken, negi, spinach, mushrooms, and carrot, arranging each ingredient in a neat order. Pour the broth over the ingredients, cover the hot pot, and bring it to a boil over high heat until cooked.
6
Transfer the hot pot to the dining table and serve immediately.