Tokyo style stew (oden)

serves 4

• 2 fried fish sausages (chikuwa; illus.1)

• 1 cake konnyaku
• 2/3 lb. (300 g) Chinese white radish (daikon)
• 12 each: fish balls, quail eggs
• 8 rolls kelp (kombu)
• 4 cakes deep-fried tofu
• 8 slices burdock root (gobo) tempura (illus.2)

A.

• 5 c dashi
• 1/2 c. mirin
• 1-1/2 T. soy sauce

B.

• 2 T. each: white miso, sugar
• 4 T. each: ketchup, cold water
• 1 t. chili paste mustard, as desired

Directions

Cut the fried fish sausages into chunks or diagonal slices. Cut the konnyaku into small pieces. Roll-cut the white radish into chunks. Skewer the fish balls and quail eggs, four per bamboo skewer (illus. 3). Blanch the kelp rolls in boiling water for about 2 minutes to remove the seawater odor. Cook the white radish in a fresh pot of boiling water until done, about 5 minutes. Remove.

Bring 1 to a boil in a clay pot. Add the other ingredients to the boiling liquid,then lower the heat and simmer about 40 minutes, until the flavors are well absorbed. Dip in 2 or mustard before eating.

The success of this dish depends on the quality and freshness of the ingredients used. choose the very best ingredients when shopping for this dish. Stuffed tofu pockets, octopus, and so forth, may be substituted for some of the ingredients in this dish.