Winter is prime time for nabemono, one-pot stews that are cooked at the table in a large, earthenware casserole over a gas flame. Everyone eats out of the communal pot, plucking out morsels and dipping them in sauce. This is one of the most popular ways to dine in cold weather.
The ingredients arrive at the table in their raw state, beautifully arranged on large platters for your visual enjoyment before being put into the boiling stock. The waitress will get things going, but then it becomes "self-service," so it's worth knowing the basic rules.
The first things to go in the pot are ingredients that give flavor to the stock: clams, chicken, fish, leeks and shiitake mushrooms. Next comes everything else, except for delicate greens, usually mitsuba (trefoil) and shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves), which are thrown in at the last minute. Often added at the end are udon noodles or mochi (rice cakes), or cold rice and egg, to make zōsui (rice porridge). If the flame is too high, ask the waitress, “hi wo sagete kudasai.”
Sukiyaki is the most famous of Japan’s one-pot dishes. Less known but equally worthy is mizudaki (or mizutaki). This famous nabemono originated in Hakata, in northern Kyūshū, and is said to have been inspired by the Chinese. The broth used in mizudaki is a milky-white chicken stock. To it, one adds chunks of chicken on the bone (more flavorful), Chinese cabbage, carrot, tofu, leeks and fine "glass noodles" of bean protein. The cooked morsels are served with a tangy sauce of soy, citrus, grated radish and hot chili pepper.
Mizudaki is readily available throughout Japan. One of our favorites is Toriiwaro in the Nishijin district of Kyoto. It’s pricey, but you are paying for the splendid elegant Kyoto townhouse ambiance as well as for the delectable food. Do you have a favorite shop? Let us know!
