Chikuzen-ni (Simmered Chicken and Vegetables)

Heat the sesame oil in a wide, heavy pan over high heat. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and sear without moving them until the underside is deep golden and the flesh releases cleanly from the pan. Turn and colour the second side briefly. Remove and set aside. The rendered fat left in the pan carries flavour for the vegetables that follow — it must not be discarded.

Drain the burdock and add it to the same pan along with the lotus root. Stir-fry in the residual fat and sesame oil over medium-high heat until the cut surfaces are lightly coloured and the raw, earthy smell of the burdock softens to something nuttier. The carrot and konnyaku pieces go in next; toss briefly to coat.

Return the chicken to the pan. Pour in the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin. Bring to a brisk simmer, skim any foam that rises, then set a drop lid (otoshibuta) or a circle of parchment directly on the surface. This is where the dish lives or dies: the heat must be regulated so that the broth reduces steadily without boiling the chicken into dryness, and the dense vegetables — burdock and lotus root — must become fully tender at the same moment the broth has concentrated to a glaze. Maintain a moderate simmer throughout.

When the burdock and lotus root are nearly tender — a skewer should meet only slight resistance — add the taro and continue simmering. The taro is done when it yields completely to a skewer and its edges have begun to absorb the dark broth. The chicken should be cooked through at the same point; the broth will have reduced significantly.

Add the pre-blanched snap peas or green beans in the final minute of cooking. They require only enough time to warm through. Remove the pan from the heat while they remain vivid green — their brightness against the dark-glazed root vegetables is the visual resolution of the dish.