Japanese Hot Pots by Tadashi Ono

Author:Tadashi Ono
Language: ru
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781607741312
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Published: 2011-04-25T20:00:00+00:00

OLD TOKYO TUNA-BELLY HOT POT

Negima Nabe

Rich, buttery tuna belly might be the most coveted sushi bar selection the world over, but it wasn’t always so prized. Hundreds of years ago, Tokyo Bay fishermen sold it off cheap because it spoiled quickly, and tuna’s pink and ruby flesh reminded people of meat, prohibited by Buddhism at the time. Pushcart vendors, though, eventually hawked tuna belly simmered in soup, which evolved into this homey, traditional hot pot. Interestingly, despite its current popularity as sushi, as recently as Tadashi’s childhood, tuna belly was always cooked, as it was considered too fatty to eat raw. This is a classic Tokyo dish, the savory-and-sweet broth exemplifying the bold tastes that define this city’s cooking, with flavors hearty enough to stand up to this fish. The black pepper cuts the tuna belly’s fattiness, but you can also achieve this effect with wasabi, karashi mustard, or yuzu kosho, if you prefer. You can substitute tuna belly with chu toro (the cut between tuna and tuna belly) or sushi-grade tuna. Just prepare either of these cuts rare; they dry out if overcooked.

SERVES 4

4 cups dashi

¾ cup mirin

¾ cup soy sauce

1 package (7 ounces) itokonnyaku, well rinsed, strained, and quartered

3 negi, sliced on an angle into 2-inch pieces

½ pound napa cabbage, sliced

½ package (about 6 ounces) broiled tofu, cut into 4 pieces

1 pound tuna belly (toro), cut into 1-inch cubes

Coarsely ground black pepper, for accent

Prepare the broth by combining the dashi, mirin, and soy sauce in a bowl; reserve.

Place the itokonnyaku noodles on the bottom of a hot pot. Add the negi, cabbage, and tofu on top of the itokonnyaku, arranging each ingredient in a separate, neat bunch. Pour in the reserved broth.

Cover the hot pot and bring it to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium, uncover the pot, and arrange the tuna belly beside the other ingredients. Simmer until the tuna belly is cooked rare to medium rare, 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the hot pot to the dining table. Serve the ingredients together with the broth in small bowls, accenting with the black pepper.

Suggested shime: Soba.

TABLESIDE COOKING OPTION: Arrange the ingredients on serving platters. After preparing the broth, do all the cooking at the dining table. Add the supporting ingredients all at once, or reserve half or more to cook later. Cook a little of the tuna belly at a time.

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