Chanko Nabe Recipes

CHANKO NABE (SUMO STEW)

Steps:

• Gather all the ingredients for the Chanko Nabe broth. This 6-inch grater works great for grating ginger and collecting the juice from grating it. In this recipe, we use only the juice of the ginger.
• In a donabe clay pot, Dutch oven, or large pot, combine the chicken broth, sake, mirin, ginger juice, and garlic. Bring it all to a simmer over medium heat.
• Once simmering, transfer several spoonfuls of the broth into a measuring cup or small bowl. Then, add the miso to the measuring cup and stir until smooth and combined.
• Gradually add the miso mixture back into the broth in the pot, stirring to dissolve any lumps. Once you've incorporated the miso, do not let the broth boil. Turn off the heat as soon as the broth starts to simmer and small bubbles appear around the edges of the pot.
• Gather all the meatball ingredients.
• In a large bowl, combine the chicken, ginger juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, panko, green onion, and half of the beaten egg (reserving the remaining half for another use). Using your hands, mix it all together.
• Once the mixture becomes pale and well combined, shape it into 1-inch (2.5 cm) meatballs. If the mixture is too loose to form meatballs, sprinkle in additional panko, as needed.
• Cut the cod fillet into 2-inch (5 cm) chunks. Peel and devein the shrimp. Cut the sliced pork belly into 2-inch pieces. Trim the visible fat from the chicken thighs and cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Cut the tofu into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Separate the napa cabbage leaves and cut them into smaller pieces. Finally, slice the carrot and make flower-shaped cutouts with a vegetable cutter.
• Cut the negi (long green onions) diagonally into 1-inch-thick pieces, cut the green onions into 2-inch (5 cm) lengths, and remove the stems of the shiitake mushrooms, making a decorative cut on the caps if desired.
• Place all the stew ingredients-the meatballs, seafood, pork belly, chicken, tofu, carrot slices, napa cabbage, negi, green onions, and mushrooms-on platters. Set the platters on the table.
• Pour the ponzu sauce and sesame sauce (goma dare) into individual dipping bowls at each place setting along with chopsticks, a soup spoon (optional), and a soup bowl.
• Set a portable gas burner on the table next to the platters of ingredients. Place the donabe or pot filled with the Chanko Nabe broth on top of the burner. If you don't have a portable gas stove, you can cook the stew on the stovetop, transfer it to a large bowl, and serve it family style. Or, you can bring the pot to the table and enjoy each batch, then return it to the stove to start a new batch.
• Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, add the fish, tofu, tough parts of napa cabbage, negi, carrots, and some mushrooms. You don't have to put all the ingredients in at once; you may cook in batches if you prefer. Cover to cook for 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the fish is cooked. Transfer the cooked food to individual soup bowls. Then, add the meatballs, meat (or more fish), and vegetables to the broth, and cook covered for 10 minutes. Be aware that the vegetables and tofu cook more quickly than the meatballs, seafood, and chicken.
• Keep the broth at a simmer the entire time. If the liquid gets low, add a little water or chicken broth to have enough liquid to heat the noodles or rice at the end. Even though you are thinning the broth, the flavorful ingredients you are cooking continue to enrich it.
• When diners are ready for the final course, remove any solids in the broth and add the rice or precooked udon noodles. Simmer until heated through, then ladle into the soup bowls and serve.
• You can keep the leftovers in the pot or in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 24-36 hours. Reheat to enjoy.

"CHANKO NABE" SUMO STEW (ちゃんこ鍋)

Steps:

• First prepare the meatballs. Add 200g (7oz) of ground chicken mince to a bowl along with 1/2 tbsp miso paste, 1/2 tsp ginger and 1/2 tsp garlic paste. Mix until the ingredients are well distributed (especially the miso, we don't want any lumps!).
• In a small separate bowl, crack one egg and lightly whisk.
• Add the egg and 1 tbsp of cornstarch to the chicken mince, mix until you have a slightly sticky mixture.
• Set aside for later.
• Add 1l dashi, 1½ tbsp chicken stock powder, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp mirin, ½ tbsp garlic paste, ½ tbsp ginger paste and 2 tbsp of ground sesame seeds to the pot.
• Mix up all the ingredients and bring it to the boil.
• Once boiling, use a spoon to take a scoop of seasoned chicken mince and then another spoon to scrape it off and drop it into the boiling broth. These are your meatballs.
• When all the mince is used up, put the lid on and cook for 3-4 mins.
• Add the carrots first as they take a bit longer than the other vegetables. Allow to boil for a few minutes.
• Now add the rest of your vegetables and the firm tofu, allow to simmer for 10 minutes.
• Turn off the heat and mix in the miso by scooping it onto a ladle or mesh spoon and allowing a small amount of the hot broth in. Using chopsticks or a small whisk, break up the miso paste up into the small amount of broth and then gradually add it to the rest of the hot pot.
• Serve on its own or with a bowl of rice and enjoy!

CHANKO NABE (SUMO WRESTLER HOT POT)

Steps:

• Soak the konbu in a bowl of water (you will use this water later).
• Bring water (not in ingredients) in a large pot to a boil, add the chicken carcass.
• When it starts boiling again and the surface of the chicken carcass becomes white, drain and rinse the chicken carcass well, removing guts and other brown bits.
• Add the chicken carcass and the konbu to the pot. Add 1000ml / 2.1pt water including the water from the konbu to the pot and bring it to a boil.
• Remove scum and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook for minimum 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour. Remove scum occasionally until no more brownish scum comes to the top.
• Put through a sieve. If the amount of broth is less than 750ml / 1.6pt, add water.
• Add all the Chanko Nabe Broth ingredients in a pot and bring it to a boil.
• Turn the heat off and leave until required.
• Bok choy: Remove outer leaves. Cut the central cluster of small leaves vertically to half or quarters depending on the thickness of the cluster. Wash well, particularly at the bottom of the stems where dirt collects. If the outer leaves are large, diagonally cut in half.
• Chinese cabbage: If the leaf and the stem is very wide, halve vertically, then slice leaves diagonally. To diagonally slice, place the stem-end to the left (for a right hander) on the cutting board. Place a knife diagonally tilted to the right and slice the leaf diagonally to 5cm / 2" long pieces, by placing a knife.
• Carrot: Cut a carrot to 5cm / 2" long, then slice vertically to 2-3mm / 1⁄16- ⅛" thick. If the rectangle is very wide, halve it vertically. Alternatively, slice the carrot diagonally.
• Shallot/Scallions: Diagonally cut to 5cm / 2" long.
• Shiitake mushrooms: Remove the stems. To decorate shiitake head (optional), make a shallow V-shape cut in the middle of the head, then another V-shape cut perpendicular to the first cut, making a cross (see the photo in the post).
• Enoki mushrooms: Trim the end of the stems that are woody. If mushrooms are stuck together at the bottom, divide it into smaller bunches.
• Place all the ingredients in a pot (note 3), clustering each ingredient together.
• Add the broth to the pot and heat the pot on a portable stove (note 4).
• Serve with small serving bowls.

SUMO STEW (CHANKO NABE) WITH SHRIMP, MEATBALLS, AND BOK CHOY

Steps:

• Cook udon in a medium pot of boiling salted water according to package directions. Transfer udon to a colander to drain; reserve cooking liquid in pot. Transfer udon to a large bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp. oil.
• If using eggs, cover pot and return cooking liquid to a boil. Add eggs and cook at a low boil until soft-boiled, about 6 minutes. Transfer eggs to a large bowl of ice water to cool, then peel and reserve.
• Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. oil in a large pot over medium-high. Sauté mushrooms and 1/4 tsp. salt until lightly browned and moisture releases, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger; cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Stir in miso, then add chicken broth. Stir in kombu, if using, soy sauce, and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover, bring to a simmer, and cook 10 minutes.
• Add meatballs and carrots. Cover and continue to simmer until meatballs are just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove kombu from broth and discard.
• Stir in bok choy and vinegar, if using. Place fish on top of stew, then cover and cook 3 minutes. Gently fold in shrimp (try to avoid breaking up fish) and cook, covered, until shrimp is pink and fish is opaque and cooked through, about 3 minutes more.
• Divide stew among bowls. Slice eggs in half lengthwise and top each bowl with 2 halves. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve udon in large bowl for sharing alongside.

SADOGATAKE CHANKO-NABE MISO-AJI (SUMO STYLE PORK HOT POT)

Steps:

• Bring 10 cups cold water to a boil in a wide medium cooking pot over high heat. Add dashi flakes, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring until flakes completely dissolve, about 1 minute.
• Add pork, sake, and mirin to dashi and simmer, skimming any foam that rises to surface, until pork is tender, 15-30 minutes.
• Dissolve red and white misos in 1 cup broth from cooking pot in a small bowl, then stir back into cooking pot.
• At the table, set cooking pot on a portable stove in center of table and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• Add carrots, daikon, potatoes, onions, firm tofu, mushrooms, fried tofu, cabbage, and chives, in that order, and simmer until vegetables are just soft, about 5 minutes. The hot pot is now ready to be eaten "self-serve" style in medium bowls.
• (Optional) Once all the pork, vegetables, and tofu have been eaten, use a small sieve to pick out scraps. Bring remaining broth in cooking pot back to a simmer, then add rice or noodles and stir in eggs.
• Simmer until broth is absorbed by rice, about 5 minutes, or until noodles are cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Divide between bowls.

CHANKO NABE SUMO WRESTLER'S HOT POT

Steps:

• Notes: The Chinese cabbage used is called hakusai. The deep fried tofu used is called abura-age. It is thin sliced deep fried tofu. Also the zaar computer won't let me add Chrysanthemum leaves called shungiku which is a garnish. The Dashi-Konbu should be 4 X 1 1/2 X 4 inches.
• Fish Balls: Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse to rough texture not fine. put in container and cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
• Blanch the abura-age in rapidly boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain under cold running water and squeeze water out by hand. Cut in half lenghtways, then quarter crossways to make 8 rectangles. Cut each in half diagonally to make two rectangles. You should end up with 32.
• Cut the bok choy into 2 1/2 inch lengths. Cut leeks diagonally in 1 inch thick oval shapes. Cut Daikon in 1/4 inch rounds. Cut hakusai in strips crosswise. Keep the stocks and leaves separate.
• Grind citrus pepper. set aside.
• Lay dashi-konbu on bottom of pan. Pour in soup stock ingredients to fill half of pan. bring to boil on high heat.
• Cook fish balls: reduce heat to medium. Using a spoon scoop up the balls and shape into a ball using a metal spatula or a palette knife. Drop into boiling stock. Repeat until you finish fish paste. Skim surface frequently. Cook for 3 minutes.
• Carefully add chicken pieces which have been cut into large bite size pieces, the stalks of the hakusai, shiitake, leek then tofu and abura-age. Simmer about 12 minutes or until chicken is done. Add soft parts of hakusai and the shungiku [Chrysanthemum leaves] and wait for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Put pan on portable cooker on table and set at lowest heat [use a crock pot] Serve small amounts of ingredients in individual bowls.
• Sprinkle with citrus pepper.