Shabu Shabu

This is the other famous Japanese hot pot. Secret Japanese grandmother idea: wait until everyone has eaten their fill before you eat yours. The broth becomes super rich and flavorful by the end to dip your own food into. So good, that I like to go back at the end and just put some broth in my bowl with a little s+p. Talk about yum!

Need:
dashi stock (water/dashi stock powder or bonito flakes if you're a boss)
various vegetables and meats
tofu
fish cakes
ponzu sauce

 

This is the box the dashi stock powder comes in. Follow the directions for making a large pot of stock.

 

Ponzu sauce. Usually has a picture of a citrus fruit on the front. I think its supposed to be yuzu.

 

Udon noodles for the end. Fun fact, I have no idea what any of this shiet says. I just copy my MIL's purchases.

 

Yam noodles. These are awesome. Try these in other applications too.

 

We actually have a hot pot machine for this application because we're (white-looking) Asians. You could also do a hot plate with a large pan on it. That strainer hanging off of the pot is super useful for grabbing hot, falling-apart tofu.

 

I have two types of mushrooms here: enoki and something else I found at the store. The "something else" mushroom is super flavorful. Use it in mushroom stocks or other soup stocks. Also, sliced tofu on this plate. PS: It might be called a maitake mushroom. They come in a bunch. Try new things, people!

 

Fish cakes (3 kinds!) and the yam noodles. The pink tinged fish cake is classic. The cylindrical white ones are neat. The cylindrical brown ones have squid in the middle of them. Yummers.

 

These are called shingiku. Or that's a train line in Tokyo. Pretty sure it's the first one. They're edible chrysanthemum greens. A little bitter, but tasty.

 

MEAT! This is beef sliced specifically for this application. You could slice your own too, but I'm a lazy, lazy (wo)man.

 

Put the dashi broth in the hot pot machine. Bring it to a boil, load it up, and wait until stuff cooks. Put ponzu in an empty bowl waiting nearby and pile the finished foods in. Enjoy with rice. Holy cow. If you're still eating and the broth is getting low, add more or some water to mellow it out. FYI.

 

At the end of the meal, pour some of that broth into your ponzu sauce bowl and add a little s+p. Slurp that shiet up, suckas!