What
does shabu shabu sound like to you? Japanese
love onomatopoeia, we have so many ‘sounding’ words it’s just not funny.This
is a one of them. It describes a stirring motion or rinsing something in water. Also
it is the name of the meal (Japanese hot-pot) "Shabu shabu". I
am sure many people have already come across this dish by now but how many
people have actually cooked it at home? It's very easy to cook and healthy
but quite filling. All my family loves it, especially on a cold winters
night. I have had a few successful dinner parties out of it, too.
Because
we are very lucky to live in one of the largest meat consuming countries in the
world, the cost of meat is much kinder to our wallet than in Japan for sure. So
why not try it at home? One
thing though, it is very handy to have a gas cooking stove (the ones you take
to a camp would be fine), it makes it easier to cook and keep hot (Just
be careful when you are cooking around children. Make sure someone is
always in charge of the hot pot on the table)
But
don't despair if you don't have a gas stove, you can still cook it on a normal
stove top. However, it is nice to keep cooking while you are eating
and chatting...it’s like a never ending hot pot, just like magic!
Shabu
shabu (for four)
Ingredients:
6-8
Chinese cabbage leaves, cut them into about 5cm width
Half
bunch of spring onions, chop them into about 5cm width
8-10
Fresh shiitake mushrooms, remove stalks and either you cut them in half
or slice (it's up to you). If you are using dried ones, soak them in
hot water
for about 10 minuets. Keep the juice as a soup stock
and add it into the pot later.
500g
Thin sliced beef* (scotch fillet or wagyu would be nice).
Place
meat individually in layers on a plate so it’s easy to pick up when you
serve them. I often cut them in half (meat slice can be too big)
200g
Firm tofu**, cut them into about 3cm cubes
1
packet of Shirataki^ (potato noodles), open the packet and rinse with
water and drain
Dried
Konbu# (kelp), cut it in about 5cm
Prepare
all ingredients, wash and chop. Place all ingredients except meat nicely in the
earthen pot (see picture) and leave it aside (I used earthen pot but you
can use any big pot).
Fill
water in a middle size pot and add konbu. Turn the stove on. Before the
water boils, take konbu out from the pot. Pour this soup stock gently into the
earthen pot then put it on the stove with the lid on.
Turn
the stove on medium heat, cook it about 15 to 20 minutes. Check when the
chinese cabbage leaves become transparent then it’s ready.
Miso dipping sauce:
3
tbsp white roasted sesame
4 tbsp
miso
3 tbsp
brown sugar
3 tbsp
white vinegar
2-3
tbsp water
Use
suribachi to grind the sesame, then add miso, sugar and vinegar. Mix well, then
add water little by little. Taste it until the sauce becomes a bit runny (see
picture above). If you like extra sauce, you can always make double amount in
case you run out during the dinner.
Gather
everyone at the table. Give each person a bowl with miso dipping sauce. One
person should be in charge of the meat tray. Use saibashi (long cooking chop
sticks) then drop the meat in at each corner (where people are sitting). So
each person can pick meat up at the timing of how they like the meat to be
cooked
(rare or well done). Grab the meat with a pair of chop sticks and do a
swimming like motion (see picture below) in the pot "shabu shabu"
then pick the meat up. Then dip it into a miso dipping sauce with all the other
vegetables.
Everyone
will have fun with "shabu shabu" and it keep’s everyone warm and
full. Great comfort food!
*You
can get them already sliced and packed ones at a Japanese grocer or Chinese
butcher (They are often frozen).
^You can buy it at Japanese grocer.
**
To scoop tofu up from the pot is a one of the hardest things. A ladle type
strainer can be useful.
#You
can buy it at a Japanese grocer. They are good for making soup stocks.
* For Japanese readers: link to
bakewitheri
http://bakewither.exblog.jp/