Mago Tuna and Daikon Hot Pot

Today’s lunch was perfect for cold weather – Mago Tuna and Daikon Hot Pot.  Hot pot cooking basically poaches the food in a broth for a one pot cooking experience.  The recipe comes from the book Japanese Hot Pots by Tadashi Ono & Harris Salat.  I bought this particular book because I love soups when it is cold out and my boyfriend loves Japanese food.  This combines both of our interests into one and makes it easy to enjoy Japanese food at home.

The one glitch in this book is that sometimes Asian ingredients may be difficult to find.  However, there is a wonderful Asian market in my town which carries food from the Pacific region.  With the help of a woman who tracked down a number of ingredients for us in the store, we were well on own way to having everything we needed for this recipe and not some of the more simple recipes I am planning on cooking!

 

Yellowtail and Daikon Hot Pot

by Buri Daikon Nabe

Serves 4 (though I cut the recipe in half and we have plenty leftover)

1 pound daikon, peeled, halved length-wise and cut into ½ inch thick slices

2 cups dashi

2 cups water

2/3 cup mirin (found near or with the vinegars)

2/3 soy sauce (a strong one is preferable)

½ pound napa cabbage, sliced

½ package (about ½ pound) firm tofu (I like the extra firm better than firm), cut into 8 slices

1 negi, sliced on an angle into 2 inch pieces (I could not find them so substituted scallions)

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (about 8 pieces), stemmed and caps halved

1 pound yellowtail fillet, cut into 1 inch thick slices

2 cups shungiku leaves, stemmed (they are related to chrysanthemums)

Sancho for accent (though I used Thai chilies and they are really spicy)

Add the daikon to a small saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Decrease the heat to medium and cook the daikon until it’s tender, about 15 minutes.  (The book says it is done when a chopstick is inserting and comes out easily.)  Transfer the daikon to a colander and cool under running water; reserve.

Prepare the broth by combining the dashi, water, mirin and soy sauce in a bowl; set aside.

 

Prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Please the cabbage on the bottom of the hot pot.  

Add the tofu, daikon, negi, and shiitake mushrooms on top of the cabbage, arranging each ingredient in a separate, neat bunch.  Pour in the reserved broth.

Cover the hot pot and bring it to a boil over high heat.  Uncover the pot and place the yellowtail on top of the other ingredients.  When the broth returns to a boil, decrease the heat to medium.  Simmer until the fish is cooked through, about 15 minutes.   

Add the shungiku leaves and cook for 2 minutes more.

Transfer the hot pot to the dining table.  Serve the ingredients together with the broth in small bowls, accenting with the sansho.

Suggested shime: udon