Kabu (Japanese turnip) is one of my favorite winter vegetables.
I made a simple one pot dish, "Kabura Nabe" (turnip hot pot) with the classic-style donabe, "Yu Kizeto".
Making this dish is very easy. Once I get the broth, I can basically just add the ingredients to cook in it. The ingredients I had this evening were...kabu, white part of negi (Japanese green onion), enoki mushrooms, bok choy, abura-age (fried tofu pouch), and chicken tender.
Everything was cooked in the donabe on the table top. To finish, the broth was thickened with some kuzuko (arrowroot starch), and some sliced yuzu rinds and extra grated kabu was added.
The condiments were simple also...some ground white sesame seeds, black shichimi from Kyoto, and sliced ginger. So delicious.
Kabura Nabe
Ingredients (2 servings)
4 medium-size kabu (Japanese turnip)
1/4 negi (Japanese green onion), thinly sliced diagonally
1 bok choy, quartered
1/4 pound chicken tender, cut into bite-size pieces and season with salt
2 small abura-age (fried tofu pouch), blanched and cut in half
3 oz enoki mushrooms
3.5 cups dashi stock
1/4 cup sake
2 tablespoons mirin
3 tablespoons light color soy sauce ("usukuchi shoyu")
salt to taste
1 tablespoon kuzuko (arrowroot starch), mixed with the same amount of water
some thinly-sliced yuzu rind
condiments...ground roasted sesame seeds, thinly-sliced ginger, and black shichimi pepper, or your choice of condiments
Procedure
1. Grate 2 kabu bulbs and set aside. Cut the remaining 2 kabu bulbs into quarters (wedges).
2. Combine the dashi stock, sake, mirin, and soy sauce in the donabe and bring over medium-heat. Add the kabu wedges and negi, and simmer.
3. Once the kabu wedges are tender, add the chicken tender and abura age. Simmer for a couple of minutes.
4. Stir in the kuzuko solution to thicken the broth. Also stir in the grated kabu.
5. Add the bok choy, enoki mushrooms, and some yuzu rinds. Simmer another minute or two until everything is cooked through.
6. Serve into individual bowls with some condiments.
Happy donabe life.
