Shabu-shabu: Japanese Hotpot
Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ) is a Japanese hotpot dish that makes for a complete winter meal to share with family and friends! The name ‘shabu-shabu’ refers to the sound of meat and vegetables when they are dipped and stirred in hot broth. Sounds yummy, doesn’t it?
4 persons
1 hour
Japan
Ingredients
Based on 4 persons
- 145g daikon white radish
- 2 scallions
- Shichimi tougarashi spice mix
- White pepper
- Salt
Broth:
- 10g kombu dried kelp
Ingredients for in the hotpot:
- Dried sanuki udon noodles
- 340g napa cabbage
- 100g shungiku crown daisies
- 1 negi (Japanese green onion)
- 200g enoki mushrooms
- 100g shimeji mushrooms
- 4 shiitake mushrooms
- 65g carrots
- 400g firm tofu
- 550g beef rib eye
Citrus-based ponzu sauce (make a day in advance)*:
- 120ml soy sauce
- 120ml lemon juice
- Zest of a lemon
- 30ml mirin
- 5g katsuobushi dried bonito flakes
- 6g kombu dried kelp
Goma dare sesame sauce:
- 6 Tbsp sake
- 4 Tbsp neri goma sesame paste
- 2 Tbsp ponzu sauce
- 2 Tbsp miso
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil
- 1 Tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp mirin
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- Minced garlic (optional)
Tools:
- Hotpot pan
- Hotpot skimmers
- Chopsticks
- Grater
- Citrus-based ponzu sauce and goma dare sesame sauce
Mix all the ingredients for the ponzu sauce together and mix well. Put it in the refrigerator and let it sit for at least a day in an airtight container. Drain the sauce through a sieve to get rid of the dried bonito flakes and dried kelp.
Mix the ingredients for the goma dare sesame sauce together.
Peel the daikon, grate it finely and gently squeeze it. Cut the scallions into thin slices. Transfer the grated daikon, the scallions and the shichimi tougarashi spice mix into separate small bowls. - Broth
Fill ⅔ of the hotpot pan with water. Add the dried kelp and let it soak in the water for at least 30 minutes. - Ingredients for in the hotpot
Meanwhile, precook the udon noodles for 10 minutes. Drain them well and place them in a plate before setting them aside.
Cut the napa cabbage into 5-cm pieces, then cut each piece in half. Cut the crown daisies into 5-cm pieces.
Cut the white part of the negi Japanese green onion diagonally into 1½-cm pieces (the green part is not used).
Rinse the enoki and shimeji mushrooms. Cut off the end of the mushrooms and separate them into smaller bunches. Get rid of the stem of the shiitake mushrooms. Slice the carrots. Cut the tofu into 2½-cm cubes.
Arrange all the ingredients on a serving plate.
Cut the beef into thin slices and arrange them on a plate. - Serving
Place the hotpot pan in the middle of the table. Surround it with the accompaniments. Serve some ponzu and goma dare sauce to each guest. Distribute a skimmer, a pair of chopsticks and an empty bowl to each guest so they can keep their accompaniments and let them cool down.
Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat. Remove the kombu just before the water starts to boil so that the broth does not become viscous. Add the tofu, the hard part of the napa cabbage and crown daisies, the carrots and some mushrooms. Cover the hotpot and let everything cook for 10 minutes.
Note: You don't need to cook all the ingredients at the same time. Do it in "batches" and as you go. - Tasting
In the meantime, prepare your dipping sauces. Add some grated daikon, shichimi tougarashi spices and scallions in the ponzu sauce. Add some scallions to the goma dare sesame sauce.
To cook the beef, take a slice of meat and stir it in the broth to cook for 20-30 seconds, or until it is no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook it.
Once they are done, remove the cooked beef and vegetables from the hotpot pan and dip them in the sauce of your choice.
Add the remaining ingredients to the broth and let them cook for a few minutes. Skim the broth during the cooking process so that the liquid remains clear. The meal usually ends with cooking the udon noodles. When all the ingredients are cooked, skim the broth one last time, then add the noodles. Heat them for 3 minutes and then season them with salt and white pepper.
Dilute the ponzu sauce with a little bit of broth, then dip the udon noodles in it. Enjoy. - *Suggestion
You can use ready-made ponzu sauce to save time.