P
Japanese · Ibaraki
Anko Fish Hot Pot Goosefish Winter Tohoku
Anko nabe (鮟鱇鍋, monkfish hot pot) is Ibaraki Prefecture and greater Kanto region's premier winter hot pot — using the same monkfish (anko, goosefish) whose liver becomes ankimo. The fish itself is equally remarkable: anko nabe uses the 'seven tools' (nanamono) of the monkfish — liver, stomach, gill, skin, ovaries, cheek meat, and fin — as well as the white flesh. The skin becomes gelatinous, the liver rich and buttery, and the white flesh firm. The hot pot uses miso or soy broth and is traditionally prepared by hanging the fish from a hook and butchering it as it hangs — the fish is too gelatinous to butcher on a board. Tochio (栃尾), Ibaraki's Oarai coast, and Tokyo fish markets all celebrate anko nabe season (October-March).
‹Swipe for the next dish›
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
1.2 kg
monkfish (anko) — seven tools: liver, stomach, gill, skin, ovaries, cheek meat, fin, plus white flesh
hung and butchered downward from a hook; skin retained
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
For the miso broth
1.2 L
dashi
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
80 g
white miso (shiro miso)
for lighter version; substitute red miso for assertive winter version
60 ml
sake
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
300 g
negi (Japanese leek)
cut into 4 cm lengths; used generously
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
200 g
100 g
enoki or shimeji mushrooms
trimmed
Your own market
For the shime
200 g
udon noodles
added to remaining enriched broth after all fish is eaten
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Hang the monkfish from a hook over a clean work surface. Butcher downward with a heavy knife, removing the seven tools — liver (ankimo), stomach, gill membrane, skin, ovaries, cheek meat, and fin — keeping each separate. Cut white flesh into generous pieces. The skin is retained and cut into broad strips; its gelatin is one of the most prized elements of the dish. The fish is too gelatinous to butcher flat on a board without tearing. The prep is done when all seven parts are separated, clean, and held in individual bowls.
From the canon — Ankimo (monkfish liver, from 'anko' — monkfish and 'kimo' — liver) is often called the 'foie gras of the sea' in Japanese culinary discourse — a comparison t… Ankimo — Monkfish Liver Preparation →
2
Bring the dashi to a gentle simmer in a donabe or heavy pot set at table. Dissolve the miso in a ladleful of hot dashi, then stir the thinned miso back into the pot. Add sake. The broth is ready when it is uniformly cloudy-gold, faintly salty at the rim, and carries a clean sea-miso aroma — it must not boil hard at any point.
From the canon — The donabe (clay/earthenware pot) is one of Japan's most ancient and most currently celebrated cooking vessels — experiencing a significant renaissance drive… Donabe — Clay Pot Cooking Traditions →
3
Add the skin, stomach, gill, ovaries, fin, and cheek meat to the simmering broth. These organs require the longest exposure; the skin in particular must have time to release its collagen and become silky and jiggly. Simmer gently for 6–8 minutes. The skin is ready when it has turned translucent and yields with no resistance to gentle pressure from a chopstick.
4
Add the negi, tofu, and mushrooms. Then lay in the white flesh pieces. White flesh cooks in 3–4 minutes; it is done when it has turned fully opaque and flakes cleanly at the thickest point when pressed with a chopstick — not before. The negi should have softened to sweetness.
5
This is where the dish lives or dies: add the ankimo (liver) in the final 2–3 minutes only. It is placed on top of the simmering broth, not submerged, and cooked just until its outer surface is set and it has lost its raw grey interior when broken. Extended cooking beyond this point turns the liver grainy, dry, and mealy — the defining richness of anko nabe is destroyed. Serve immediately from the pot into individual bowls; the liver may be briefly pre-steamed and added at service as an alternative.
6
After all fish and vegetables have been eaten, the broth will have been progressively enriched by the collagen released from skin and organs throughout the meal. Add udon noodles directly to this remaining broth and simmer until tender. This shime (finishing course) is the culmination — the broth should be thick, deeply oceanic, and coat the noodles visibly.
From the canon — Udon are Japan's thickest noodles — made from hard wheat flour with water and salt, kneaded by foot (ashi de fumu) in the Sanuki tradition of Kagawa prefecture. Udon Noodles →
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Fresh-caught Oarai coast monkfish (October–March season), all seven tools intact, butchered to order by hanging method — the standard against which all other anko nabe is measured.
02
Estate — Whole monkfish from a reputable Tokyo fish market with confirmed seasonal provenance; organs fresh and unbroken, skin intact.
03
Market — Pre-portioned monkfish flesh and liver sourced from a fishmonger, skin on; some organ parts will be unavailable, reducing textural and flavour complexity.
04
House — Monkfish tail fillet alone, without organs; a serviceable miso hot pot but no longer anko nabe in the traditional sense — the seven-tool complexity is absent.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Smell. Broth carries a clean sea-miso aroma and shows no sharp boiling turbulence — a hard boil clouds and bitters the miso.
◇Touch. Anko skin yields with no resistance to a chopstick and is uniformly translucent — the collagen has fully dissolved into the surrounding broth.
◇Sight. White flesh is fully opaque and flakes at the thickest point — any translucence at the centre means it is undercooked.
◇Sight. Ankimo surface is set and the interior has lost its raw grey colour — the liver must come off heat at exactly this moment.
◇Where it lives or dies. The ankimo must enter the pot in the final two to three minutes only — overcooking past this narrow window turns the liver mealy and dry, and the dish's defining richness is lost.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
The pairing
Sake
From British Columbia
Wine
Without alcohol
GT's Synergy Organic Kombucha — Gingerade
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Non-alcoholic
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The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
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Sourced through Provenance