Oden
A comforting winter hot pot featuring fish cakes, daikon, and konjac slowly simmered in a light soy dashi broth.
Notes
The ultimate Japanese winter comfort food. Oden is a soul-warming, classic hot pot featuring an assortment of tender daikon radish, boiled eggs, savory fish cakes, and konnyaku, all slowly simmered in a light, umami-rich dashi broth. It is deeply comforting and traditionally served with a dab of sharp Japanese mustard.
For the Broth:
- 6 cups High-quality Dashi stock (Kombu and Bonito)
- 3 tbsp Light soy sauce (Usukuchi shoyu preferred for a clear broth)
- 2 tbsp Sake
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 medium Daikon radish (peeled, cut into 1-inch thick rounds)
- 4 large Eggs (hard-boiled and peeled)
- 1 block Konnyaku (yam cake, scored with a crosshatch pattern and cut into triangles)
- 2 pieces Chikuwa (tube-shaped fish cakes, cut diagonally)
- 2 pieces Atsuage (thick deep-fried tofu, cut into triangles)
- 4 pieces Satsuma-age (fried fish cakes)
- 1 piece Hanpen (fluffy white fish cake, cut into triangles)
- Karashi (Japanese hot mustard)
- Prepare the Daikon and Konnyaku: Peel the daikon thickly. Shave off the sharp edges of the rounds (a technique called Mentori) to prevent them from breaking apart while simmering. Score one side with a crosshatch to help absorb flavors. Parboil the daikon in water for 15 minutes until slightly tender. Boil the konnyaku for 3 minutes to remove its distinct smell. Drain both.
- Remove Excess Oil (Aburanuki): Place the fried ingredients (Atsuage and Satsuma-age) in a colander in the sink and pour boiling water over them. This crucial step removes the excess surface oil, allowing them to absorb the delicious broth much better.
- Build the Broth: In a large, wide pot (a traditional clay pot or Donabe is perfect if you have one), combine the dashi stock, light soy sauce, sake, mirin, and salt. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer the Oden: Add the ingredients that need the most time to absorb flavors first: the pre-boiled daikon, hard-boiled eggs, and konnyaku. Simmer gently on low heat for 30 minutes. (Note: Do not let the broth boil vigorously, or it will become cloudy and the ingredients will break apart.)
- Add the Fish Cakes: Add the chikuwa, atsuage, and satsuma-age to the pot. Simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes.
- The Secret to Perfect Oden: Turn off the heat and let the oden sit for at least an hour (or overnight in the fridge). In Japanese cooking, simmered ingredients absorb the most flavor as they cool down.
- Finish and Serve: When ready to eat, gently reheat the pot on the stove. Add the delicate Hanpen right before serving, as it only needs 2 to 3 minutes to warm up and become incredibly fluffy. Serve the hot ingredients in shallow bowls with plenty of broth and a small dab of sharp Karashi mustard on the side.
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