This filling hot-pot, called Chanko Nabe, is probably responsible for the vast size of sumo wrestlers, as it is their first meal of the day after 4-6 hours of morning exercise. You need a Japanese clay pot or heavy pan and a portable table stove or a plate warmer.
Serves four to six
Ingredients
2 abura-age
1 bunch of shugniku or pak choi (bok choy), 200g/7oz, root part trimmed
1 large leek, trimmed
1 daikon, thickly peeled
½ hakusai
1 dashi-konbu, 3 x 10cm/1 ½ x 4in
350g/12oz chicken, boned and cut into large bite size pieces
12 shitake mushrooms, stalks removed, a cross cut into each cap
285g/10 ¼ oz packet tofu block, drained and cut into 8 cubes
For the fish balls
6 sardines, about 350g/12oz, cleaned and filleted
2.5cm/1in fresh root ginger, chopped
1 large (US extra large) egg
25ml/1 ½ tbsp miso (any except hatcho or aka)
20 chives, roughly chopped
30ml/2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
For the soup stock
550ml/18fl oz/2 ½ cups sake
550ml/18fl oz/2 ½ cups water
60ml/4 tbsp shoyu
For the extra citrus pepper (optional)
Grated rind of 1 lime
10-12 white peppercorns
1. Make the fish balls by chopping all the ingredients on a chopping board, or use a mortar and pestle to grind them. Alternatively, use a food processor. Pulse briefly so the texture is rough, not fine. Transfer to a container, cover with clear film (plastic wrap) until needed.
2. Blanch the abura-age in rapidly boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain under cold running water and squeeze out the water by hand. Cut each abura-age in half lengthways, and then quarter crossways to make eight rectangles. Cute each rectangle in half diagonally to make two triangles. You should have 32 triangles
3. Cut the shungiku or pak-choi into 6cm/2 ½ in lengths. Cut the leek diagonally in 2/3cm/1in thick oval shapes. Cut the daikon into 5mm/ ¼ in rounds. Cut the hakusai leaves into strips crossways, keeping the leaves and stalks separate.
4. Grind the citrus pepper ingredients, if using, in a mortar using a pestle and set aside in a small bowl.
5. Lay the dashi-konbu on the base of the pan. Pour in the ingredients for the soup stock to fill half the pan, and bring to the boil on a high heat.
6. To cook the fish balls, reduce the heat to medium. Scoop up the fish-ball paste with a spoon and shape roughly like a rugby ball using a palette knife (metal spatula). Drop into the boiling stock. Repeat until all the paste is used. Skim the surface of the stock frequently. Cook for 3 minutes.
7. Carefully add the chicken pieces daikon rounds, the stalks of the hakusai, the shitake and leek, then the tofu and the abura-age. Simmer for about 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Add the soft parts of the hakusai and the shungiku and wait for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
8. Put the pan on the portable stove on the table, set at the lowest heat, or on a plate warmer. Serve small amounts of the ingredients in individual bowls. Guests help themselves from the pot. Sprinkle on citrus pepper, if you like.
Cook’s Tip At the end of the meal there is a tasty rich soup left in the pot. Add 200g/7oz cooked udon noodles into the remaining soup and bring to the boil again. After 2 minutes, serve the noodles in bowls with plenty of soup and chopped chives on top.
