Japanese cuisine · Soups & Stews

Oden

Daikon, eggs, konjac, and fish cakes simmer slowly in a light dashi-soy broth – Japan's classic winter street food.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1L dashi
• 80ml light soy sauce
• 3 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp sake
• 600g daikon radish
• 4 potatoes
• 4 eggs
• 250g konjac block
• 300g Japanese fish cakes (chikuwa, satsuma-age)
• 200g firm tofu
• 2 tsp hot mustard

Instructions

1. Hard-boil the eggs for 9 minutes, shock in cold water, and peel; peel the daikon, cut into 3cm thick slices, and round off the edges slightly.
2. Parboil the daikon and peeled potatoes in water for 10 minutes so they won't cloud the broth later, then drain.
3. Cut the konjac into triangles, slit each one through the middle, blanch for 2 minutes, and drain – this removes its natural smell.
4. Warm the dashi with soy sauce, mirin, and sake in a wide pot, then arrange the daikon, potatoes, konjac, and eggs side by side in it.
5. Let it simmer over very gentle heat for 60 minutes without ever bubbling; add the fish cakes and diced tofu only in the last 15 minutes.
6. Arrange everything with plenty of broth in bowls and set a dab of hot mustard at the rim of each bowl.