Japanese cuisine · Soups & Stews

Kiritanpo Nabe

Hot pot from Akita with rice logs roasted on skewers, chicken broth, salsify and plenty of leek.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 300 g short-grain rice
• 400 g chicken thigh fillet
• 1.2 l rich chicken broth
• 150 g black salsify or parsnip (traditionally: burdock root/gobo)
• 2 leeks
• 200 g shiitake mushrooms
• 150 g enoki mushrooms
• 1 bunch scallions
• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sake
• salt

Instructions

1. Wash and cook the rice, then while still hot, mash about half of it in a bowl with a pestle until it forms a sticky but still grainy mass.
2. With dampened hands, press the rice mixture around thick wooden skewers into six 15 cm long logs and roast them all over under a hot broiler or in a dry pan for 8–10 min. until golden-brown spots appear; then slide off the skewer and cut diagonally into thirds.
3. Shave the salsify diagonally into thin slivers and soak in water for 10 min., cut the leek diagonally into 3 cm pieces, slice the shiitake and trim the root end off the enoki mushrooms.
4. Cut the chicken thigh fillet into bite-sized pieces and gently poach in the boiling chicken broth for 10 min., skimming off the foam.
5. Season with soy sauce, mirin, sake and salt, add salsify and shiitake and let simmer for 8 min. until the vegetables are tender.
6. Add the rice logs, leek and enoki mushrooms last, heat through for just 3 min., sprinkle with chopped scallions and bring the pot straight to the table.