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oden japanese stew
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Kanto-Style Oden

Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 persons
Author Lucy Seligman

Ingredients

  • 24 ounces (685 grams) daikon radish, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch (2-1/2 cm) rounds, simmered over low heat in water for one hour
  • 5-1/4 ounces (150 grams) fresh shiitake mushrooms, washed, stemmed, and placed on bamboo skewers (three per skewer)
  • 1-1/4 lb. (600 grams) white potato, peeled, and cut in half, simmered in water for 30 minutes and drained

To make Fukuro (stuffed, deep-fried tofu):

  • 5 large pieces abura-age (deep-fried tofu), dipped in boiling water for 2 minutes to get rid of excess oil, squeezed to remove excess water, cut in half, then opened to create little sacks
  • 3-1/2 ounces (100 grams) mochi (pounded rice cakes, cut into 3/4 ounce (approx. 20g) slices
  • 8 ounces (225 grams) shirataki (devil’s tongue noodles), cut in half, parboiled, and drained
  • 3 raw eggs
  • 10 8-inch (20cm) long kampyo (dried gourd strips), washed and drained, to tie up the sacks
  • 8 ounces (225 grams) konnyaku (devil’s tongue jelly) cut into triangles, parboiled, and drained
  • 2 chikuwa (fish paste rolls) cut on the bias into thick slices
  • 1 cake tofu, drained and cut into 8 thick squares
  • 4-6 chicken drumsticks
  • Assorted cut-up fish paste products such as kamaboko and satsuma-age, optional

Dashi Fish Stock:

  • 1 ounce (30 grams) konbu (kelp) wiped with a damp cloth and lightly slashed
  • 8 cups water to soak the kelp in for 30 minutes; retain the water
  • 2 small packets (1/5 ounce or 6g) katsuobushi (dried bonito shavings)

Prepared Dashi Stock:

  • 2 tbsps sake
  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce or to taste
  • 2 tbsps mirin (sweet sake) or to taste
  • 2 tsps salt or to taste

Condiment:

  • spicy Japanese mustard (karashi) to taste

Instructions

  • Place the kelp and water into a soup pot over medium heat. Just before it boils, take out the kelp (which can be cut up and added to the oden) and add the bonito shavings. Boil for a minute or two, then strain. Return the stock to a clean soup pot. Add the remaining stock ingredients, adding salt little by little until the flavor is to your liking. Keep the pot simmering.
  • To make fukuro, carefully stuff each pocket with either shirataki, pounded rice cake, or a shelled raw egg. Tie each pocket up with a dried gourd strip.
  • To make oden, place all the ingredients into the simmering prepared stock and cook for at least one hour. Bring the pot to the table and serve communally. Place a selection of the cooked ingredients in shallow bowls, serving the fiery mustard separately. If refrigerated, oden will be even tastier the second day. Reheat, adding more ingredients if desired, and serve.