Mushroom Hot Pot
The Japanese “hot pot” is a very healthy and romantic meal to share through the winter months. These dishes are heavy on the leafy greens, mushrooms, tubers, tofu, fish, and mussels and low on the creams and fats of western fair. However, their signature is the savory broth of dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and sake. The recipe this time:
The Broth
- 4 cups Water 1 tsp. Instant Dashi Stock
- 6” Dried Kombu
- 1/2 cup Mirin
- 1/2 cup Mushroom-flavored Soy Sauce
- 1 cup Sake
The Vegetables
- 1/2 lb. Firm Tofu
- 1/2 lb. Bok Choy Leaves
- 1/4 lb. White Mushrooms
- 1/4 lb. Shitake Mushrooms
- 1/4 lb. Beech Mushrooms Enoki Mushrooms
- 1/4 lb. Spinach Leaves
The Topper
- Dried Red Pepper Seeds
- Mustard Powder
- Poppy Seeds
- Sesame Seeds
Instructions
In a large cooking pot prepare the sauce the night prior and let sit overnight. Remove the kombu strip from the broth and set the pot on a burner at medium-high heat. Cut vegetables into bit-sized pieces and add the tofu and bok choy leaves to the broth then bring to a boil covered. After five minutes add the assorted mushrooms, cover, and bring to a boil again for another five minutes. Lastly, add the spinach leaves and spices, remove from heat and cover. To give the spinach time to steam, let stand for five minutes. Enjoy!