March Nabe Madness!

Recently, Craig's best friend stayed with us for a few days. On the last night he was with us, we made Nabe, a Japanese hotpot that I grew up with, and that I dearly love (and miss). Craig fell in love with it when he had it at my family's, and has since bought a japanese nabe pot and everything. anyway, here is my bastardized version of it (the Japanese would dissaprove, but it's so yummy....):

For one gallon of water, add 5 or 6 3 inch or so long pieces of Konbu that you have wiped with a damp cloth to remove excess salt. Let sit in cold water for 30 minutes. Add leek tops, and any chicken, pork, or fish (or all three) bones you might be using (I usually just have some chicken bones). Bring to alomst a boil, remove konbu. Let boil 10 or so minutes, add a BIG handful of Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes) at a rolling boil, and turn off heat. Let steep a minute or so, and strain out stuff. Take a ladlefull of broth, and pour into small bowl. Add 2-4TBs of Miso, and stir until incorporated. Pour Miso into pot. Put on heat (and on burner on table, if you're set up for it), add meat or fish, leeks, tofu, Shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, napa Cabbage, and spinach. In our family we do a few courses of this, and then at the end do a 'noodle course'. My family likes to used dried Udon, Craig and I like frozen Udon (they're fatter). We put Shichimitogarashi (Japanese seven spice pepper, or whatever. little orane capped jar), dried yuzu, grated ginger (sorry I forgot it Ziad!), and Ponzu (with yuzu) and soy sauce on the table, for whoever wants it. Fresh ground black pepper is awesome with the noodle course.

I love this stuff the next day, reheated with an egg poached in it. I aso highly recommend turning down the heat in your house when you make this, as it warms you right up. Good stuff, and goes really well with Sake, cold beer, and not to be too corny, friends and family.