I’m grateful to my friend and fellow food blogger Jennifer Perrillo. When we were roommates at BlogHer Food 2009 in San Francisco she kindly gave me several treasures to bring home to Seattle, including a copy of Japanese Hot Pots: Comforting One-Pot Meals by Tadashi Ono and Harris Salat. I flipped through the book on the plane and found myself eager to make one dish right away. The photography is gorgeous, and the recipes feel both comforting and approachable. The first recipe I tried was Kinoko Nabe, the mushroom hot pot — and I’ve made it multiple times since.
What I love about hot pots is how simple and satisfying they are. This mushroom hot pot is fragrant, flavorful, and surprisingly light compared with heavier stews, yet still filling. I did tweak the original a bit — I couldn’t resist adding udon noodles — but the recipe works well as written and is easy to adapt to what’s available at your grocery store. If you don’t have kombu and katsuobushi (shaved bonito), instant dashi powder makes a handy shortcut, though using kombu adds wonderful umami. This warm, nourishing meal is perfect for crisp fall or winter evenings and makes a cozy option for guests. Here is my adapted version of Mushroom Hot Pot (Kinoko Nabe). Enjoy!
Mushroom Hot Pot – Kinoko Nabe Recipe
Adapted from “Japanese Hot Pots” – Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups dashi (or 4 cups water + kombu (2 pieces, 4–6″) and 1 1/2 ounces dried shaved bonito; alternatively use 1 tablespoon instant bonito-flavored dashi plus kombu and water)
1 cup sake
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce (for a gluten-free variation, use a tamari such as San-J Organic Tamari)
1/2 pound napa cabbage, sliced
1/2 package firm tofu, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, trimmed and pulled apart
3 1/2 ounces shimeji mushrooms, trimmed and separated
7 ounces enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated
1/2 pound spinach, stems removed
Optional: shichimi togarashi for garnish
Note: The recipe is easily made gluten-free if you omit udon noodles; I like to add them for extra heartiness.
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan or wok, combine the dashi (or water, kombu and bonito), sake, mirin, and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then add the napa cabbage and tofu. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add the mushrooms (and udon noodles if using), and cook for another 5 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook for about 1 minute more, until just wilted. Remove and discard the kombu if used. Serve the hot pot in individual bowls and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi if desired. Serve hot and enjoy.
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Japanese Hot Pots: Comforting One-Pot Meals is a lovely resource for one-pot recipes and makes a great addition to any cookbook shelf.