Japanese Hot Pot

We just checked out the book Japanese Hot Pots by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat from the library, and today we decided on a whim to stop by the Japanese market after I left work and get some food to try one. We didn't follow a single specific recipe from the book, but combined elements of a few based on ingredients we had on hand and what sounded good, but we primarily based it on the Kimichi & Pork Hot Pot recipe. It turned out absolutely delicious, was a very filling meal, and we have leftovers, and plenty of ingredients to make it once or twice more. Here is the approximate recipe we used, which should make enough for 3-4 people.

Ingredients

• 4 cups Dashi Stock
• 2 tablespoons shiro miso paste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup mirin
• 1/2 lb (225 grams) very thinly sliced pork
• 1 lb napa cabbage kimchi
• About 1/2 lb (225 grams) age tofu, cut into 6 pieces
• Shiitake, oyster, and enoki mushrooms
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 bunch of mizuna, chopped into large pieces
• 1 large or 2 smaller cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 package fresh ramen noodles per person

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin and miso paste. Whisk together so the miso paste dissolves in the liquid.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, heat up the sesame oil, and cook the thinly sliced pork until nearly done.
3. Add the kimchi and it's liquid and the garlic, and cook until garlic softens.
4. Add the stock mixture.
5. Increase heat and bring the pot to a boil.
6. Decrease the heat to medium, cover the pot and let simmer for 10 minutes.
7. Randomly pile the tofu, mushrooms, green onions, and mizuna on top of the other ingredients, cover pot, and simmer for another 5 minutes.
8. Ladle out the ingredients into small bowls, and cover with broth. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top as a garnish.
9. Once you finish eating the ingredients in the broth, pour broth back into a pot, heat up to a simmer, and cook the ramen noodles in the broth. Divide the noodles between bowls, and then ladle the broth over them.

Dashi Stock

One of the basic stocks in Japanese cooking is a sea stock, or Dashi. It is a very simple stock, and much quicker to make than chicken, beef or vegetable stock. This recipe will make about 4 1/2 cups of stock, which seems to be about what many soup recipes call for.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups water
• About 20 sq inches (130 sq cm) of Dashi Kombu (kelp)
• About 1/4 cup katsuobushi (dried, shaved bonito fish), loosely packed

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, soak kombu in unheated water for 10-15 minutes.
2. Over medium heat, bring water up to temperature where small bubbles are just beginning to break the surface of the water.
3. Add katsuobushi, remove from heat, and let sit for 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove kombu, and strain the stock through a fine mesh or cloth to remove the katsuobushi.