Mille-Feuille Nabe (Pork and Cabbage Hot Pot)
A visually stunning yet incredibly simple hot pot. Alternating layers of napa cabbage and thinly sliced pork belly are packed tightly into a pot like a ‘thousand leaves’ (Mille-Feuille), then simmered in a delicate dashi broth until meltingly tender.
Ingredients
- 1/2 head Napa cabbage
- 1/2 lb Thinly sliced pork belly
- 4 cups Dashi stock
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Sake
- 1 tsp Salt
- Ponzu sauce for dipping
- Grated daikon radish for garnish
Instructions
- Layer the Ingredients: Peel off whole leaves of napa cabbage. Place one cabbage leaf flat, cover it entirely with slices of pork belly, and place another cabbage leaf on top. Repeat this until you have a stack of 4 cabbage leaves and 3 layers of pork.
- Cut the Stacks: Cut the cabbage and pork stacks crosswise into 2-inch wide sections.
- Pack the Pot: Pack the cut sections tightly into a wide, shallow pot (Donabe), standing them upright with the cut edges facing up. Start from the outer edge and work your way to the center until the pot is completely filled and looks like a flower.
- Add Broth and Simmer: Pour the dashi stock, light soy sauce, sake, and salt over the packed ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
- Serve: Once boiling, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the cabbage is incredibly soft and sweet. Serve hot directly from the pot, dipping each bite into refreshing Ponzu sauce.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!