Japanese winter soul food

Oden INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups homemade dashi
• 1/2 cup water　水1/2カップ
• 2 softened kombu strips, tie into knots, optional
• 12 oz (340g) Japanese oden fish cakes and fish balls
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 6 oz (170g) daikon, cut into wedges
• 2 oz (56g) konnyaku, cut into pieces or wedges, optional　
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon cooking sake
• Japanese Togarashi (Japanese 7-Spice Blend)
• Japanese mustard (Karashi), for serving

HOMEMADE DASHI INGREDIENTS

• 1 piece kombu, 6×6-inch（15cm×15cm）
• 4 cups water
• 1 oz shaved dried bonito flakes

Homemade Dashi INSTRUCTIONS

1.Wipe the surface of the kombu seaweed with a kitchen towel or paper towel to remove dirt. DO NOT remove the white powder on the kombu. In a stock pot, add the water and the kombu together. Let it steep for 30 minutes.

2 Place the stock pot over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Remove the kombu immediately. Add the shaved dried bonito flakes and stir it once to mix in. As soon as the liquid boils again, decrease the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove any scum that appears on the surface.

3 Turn off the heat and let the liquid steep for 15 minutes. Strain it through a fine sieve/strainer or cheesecloth. Don’t squeeze the bonito because it would make the dashi cloudy and generate an unpleasant fishy smell. Discard the bonito flakes after use.

4 You may refrigerate the dashi broth for up to 3 days, or freeze in an ice tray.

ODEN INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rinse the fish cakes and fish balls with running water, remove the excess oil from the fish cakes and fish balls. Drained, pat dry with paper towels and set aside.
2. In a soup pot, bring the dashi, kombu strips (if using) to boil. Add the daikon and stew on low heat until they are cooked through.
3. Add the hard-boiled eggs, konnyaku (if using) and fish cakes. Add the soy sauce, mirin and sake. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve the oden warm with Japanese mustard and Togarashi.