Yose-Nabe and Chirinabe Communal Hotpot Traditions

Ingredients

• For the chirinabe broth
• 1 L water
• 1 piece (approx. 15 g) kombu (dried kelp), wiped clean with a damp cloth; do not rinse
• For the chirinabe
• 600 g cod fillet (tara), skin on, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 300 g firm tofu, cut into 4 cm cubes
• 2 stalks negi (Japanese leek), cut on the diagonal into 4 cm lengths
• 200 g napa cabbage (hakusai), leaves separated, cut into large pieces
• 100 g enoki or shiitake mushrooms, trimmed; shiitake scored on the cap
• For the momiji-oroshi
• 200 g daikon, finely grated
• 1 tsp shichimi or ichimi togarashi, mixed into grated daikon to achieve red-flecked condiment
• For the table condiments
• 120 ml ponzu, served in individual dipping bowls
• 3 stalks green onion, finely sliced
• For the yose-nabe broth
• 1 L dashi, kombu-and-bonito or kombu only
• 60 ml soy sauce
• 30 ml sake
• 20 ml mirin
• For the yose-nabe
• 300 g mixed shellfish, e.g. clams or prawns, cleaned
• 150 g fu (wheat gluten), soaked in cold water until pliable, squeezed gently
• 200 g root vegetables, e.g. carrot or daikon, peeled and sliced 5 mm thick
• 200 g assorted mushrooms, trimmed
• 200 g firm tofu, cut into 4 cm cubes
• 2 stalks negi, cut on the diagonal into 4 cm lengths
• 150 g leafy greens, e.g. spinach or mizuna, washed
• For the shime (ending)
• 300 g cooked short-grain rice, rinsed under cold water to remove excess starch
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 stalks green onion, finely sliced

Method

1. 1
   CHIRINABE — Prepare the kelp dashi. Place the kombu in 1 L of cold water and bring over low heat. Remove the kombu just before the water reaches a full boil. No seasoning is added. The broth must remain entirely clear and without any flavour additions: this is the discipline the dish demands.
2. 2
   Prepare the momiji-oroshi. Finely grate the daikon, then mix in the togarashi until the paste is evenly red-flecked. Set alongside the ponzu and sliced green onion at the table. These condiments, not the pot, are the flavour event of chirinabe.
3. 3
   Arrange the tofu, negi, cabbage, and mushrooms around the communal pot at the table. Bring the kelp dashi to a bare simmer over the table burner — surface should tremble with visible but not aggressive movement, no rolling boil. Add the vegetables and tofu first; they are ready when the cabbage has wilted and the tofu is heated through, approximately 4–5 minutes.
4. 4
   THIS IS WHERE THE DISH LIVES OR DIES. Add the cod pieces to the barely simmering broth, then turn off the heat. Allow carry-over cooking to finish the fish undisturbed for 3–4 minutes. The cod is done when it has turned opaque throughout and yields without resistance to gentle pressure — any aggressive boiling at this stage will toughen the flesh and cloud the broth irreparably.
5. 5
   Diners serve themselves directly from the pot, dipping each piece in ponzu and applying momiji-oroshi to taste. The pot is returned to a bare simmer between servings to replenish with further ingredients as the meal progresses.
6. 6
   YOSE-NABE — Combine the dashi, soy sauce, sake, and mirin in the communal pot and bring to a gentle simmer. The broth should be light enough to receive diverse ingredients without overpowering them. Add root vegetables and mushrooms first as they require longest cooking; follow with shellfish, fu, tofu, and negi; add leafy greens last. The pot is ready to eat when the shellfish have opened and the root vegetables are tender throughout when pierced.
7. 7
   SHIME (ENDING — both formats). When all principal ingredients are consumed, bring the remaining enriched broth to a gentle simmer. Add the rinsed cooked rice. Stir in the beaten egg in a slow stream and scatter with green onion. Simmer 3–4 minutes, adjusting salt. The zosui is ready when the egg has just set and the rice has absorbed the broth to a loose porridge consistency. This step is mandatory: the residual broth, concentrated with extracted protein and collagen, is the essence of the entire meal.