Chikuzenni
A traditional New Year’s dish of chicken, lotus root, konjac, and carrots simmered in a sweet soy dashi broth.
Notes
A classic, comforting Japanese simmered dish featuring tender chicken, crunchy lotus root, burdock, and shiitake mushrooms. The ingredients are first sautéed in sesame oil to lock in the umami, then slowly braised in a sweet and savory dashi broth until they become deeply flavorful and beautifully glazed.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb (approx. 225g) Boneless chicken thighs (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 1/2 cup Lotus root (Renkon, peeled and cut into chunks)
- 1/2 cup Burdock root (Gobo, scrubbed and sliced diagonally)
- 1 medium Carrot (peeled and rolled-cut into chunks)
- 4-5 Taro roots (Satoimo, peeled and halved) OR 1 medium potato
- 4 Dried Shiitake mushrooms (rehydrated in 1 cup warm water, reserve the liquid)
- 1/2 block Konnyaku (yam cake, blanched and torn into bite-sized pieces)
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- Snow peas (blanched, for garnish)
- For the Simmering Broth:
- 1 cup Shiitake mushroom soaking liquid (or Dashi stock)
- 3 tbsp Soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Sake
- 2 tbsp Mirin
- 1.5 tbsp Sugar
- Preparation: Rehydrate the dried shiitake mushrooms in warm water for about 30 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture, cut off the tough stems, and slice the caps in half. Be sure to save 1 cup of the rich soaking liquid. Cut the chicken, lotus root, burdock root, and carrots into even, bite-sized chunks (the Japanese “rangiri” or rolling-cut method is preferred for vegetables). Tear the konnyaku into small pieces using a spoon—the rough edges help it absorb more flavor.
- Sauté the Ingredients: Heat the sesame oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned. Add the lotus root, burdock root, carrots, taro, shiitake mushrooms, and konnyaku. Sauté everything together for 3 to 4 minutes to coat the ingredients in the aromatic oil.
- Build the Broth: Pour in the reserved shiitake soaking liquid (or dashi), sake, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce. Bring the liquid to a gentle boil and use a fine mesh skimmer to remove any foam or impurities that rise to the surface.
- Simmer with a Drop Lid: Turn the heat down to medium-low. Place an otoshibuta (a traditional wooden drop lid, or a piece of crumpled aluminum foil with a small hole in the center) directly resting on top of the ingredients. Let it simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, allowing the flavors to penetrate deeply until the root vegetables are completely tender.
- Glaze and Serve: Remove the drop lid. Turn the heat up slightly to medium and continue to cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Gently toss the ingredients with a wooden spatula until the remaining liquid reduces into a thick, glossy glaze that coats the vegetables and meat perfectly. Transfer to a beautiful rustic bowl, garnish with bright green blanched snow peas, and serve warm or at room temperature.
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