Shabu-shabu
This is a Japanese hot pot meal. "Shabu-shabu" literally means "swish-swish", as in the sound the broth makes as you dip and turn your own food in the simmering liquid to quickly cook it. This is great for a fun family meal, the kids love the idea of cooking stuff for themselves, jut give them fondue forks instead of chopsticks for easier food handling so they won't keep loosing their pieces. This is also a great idea for a sit down dinner party since everything is prepared ahead. Just by extra tabletop butane burners, they're around $20 at the Asian market, or use a large electric frying pan with an extention chord.
serves 4-6
1 lb. paper thin sliced lean beef, lamb or chicken from the freezer section at the Asian market, or slice
yourself while the whole chunk is still half frozen with a very sharp knife
2-3 carrots, shaved into thin slices with a vegetable peeler
1-2 sweet white onions, very thinly sliced into segments while still joined at the base
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch sections
1-2 pkg. enoki mushrooms, or sliced fresh shitake mushrooms
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
1 small head napa cabbage, sliced into 1 inch ribbons cross-wise
1-2 pkg. japanes bite size noodle bundles made from a root vegetable
2-3 large fresh eggs (optional)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake or dry vermouth
3 cups water
1 large piece kombu (dried seaweed)
1 leek, white part only, sliced
sauces for dipping
cooked white rice
serves 4-6
1 lb. paper thin sliced lean beef, lamb or chicken from the freezer section at the Asian market, or slice
yourself while the whole chunk is still half frozen with a very sharp knife
2-3 carrots, shaved into thin slices with a vegetable peeler
1-2 sweet white onions, very thinly sliced into segments while still joined at the base
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch sections
1-2 pkg. enoki mushrooms, or sliced fresh shitake mushrooms
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
1 small head napa cabbage, sliced into 1 inch ribbons cross-wise
1-2 pkg. japanes bite size noodle bundles made from a root vegetable
2-3 large fresh eggs (optional)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sake or dry vermouth
3 cups water
1 large piece kombu (dried seaweed)
1 leek, white part only, sliced
sauces for dipping
cooked white rice
 camping stove |
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 leeks and kombu in broth |
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Prepare vegetables: place vegetables on platters along both sides of cooking unit on the table, arreanging so everyone can reach some of everything. Arreange plates of the sliced raw meat in the same manner.
Make sauces: a thin version of the peanut sauce recipe here, or mix equal part soy sauce and mirin with a dash of crushed red peppers. Give everyone their own little bowls of sauces.
Make broth: in a large, shallow pan, simmer water, soy sauce, saki, leek and kombu for a about ten minutes. Remove the kombu and discard. Move the pot to the table, and bring back to a steady simmer.
 place food bits in broth to cook |
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To eat: give everyone a small bowl of rice. Each person takes two to three pieces of vetable and places it in the pot in front of themselves, letting them simmer for 1-2 minutes before removing and eating immediately. Swoosh the thin slices of meat through the simmering broth just until no longer pink, then drag through one of the sauces and eat. Hold the rice bowl under the food as you remove it from the pot, using the rice to catch any drippings from pot to sauce or sauce to mouth.
Using the eggs (optional): after all the meat and vegetables are used up, crack the eggs into the remaining broth and quickly scramble with your chopsticks to form ribbons as it cooks. Ladle eggdrop broth over bowls of remaining rice and eat with a spoon.
