Chanko Nabe

Once the traditional dish of Sumo wrestlers, Chanko nabe is now enjoyed all over Japan. It contains a much larger amount of proteins than many other types of nabe. Why? It was, and still is consumed by the Sumo wrestlers in order to facilitate quick weight gain! Usually comprised of a hearty portion of chicken or beef, Chanko nabe also contains vegetables and udon noodles. Each chef will have their own variation of this filling and wholesome dish — other ingredients might include shrimp, enoki mushrooms, tofu, pork belly, and cod, among others.

Ingredients

• 5 cups Dashi
• 4 Tbsp Soy Sauce
• 4 Tbsp Sake
• 4 Tbsp Mirin
• 1 tsp salt

Harusame (bean thread)

• 1/2 lb (230g) ground chicken
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 2/3 lb (300g) thinly sliced pork
• 1/2 Nappa cabbage, cut 2” width
• 2 Naganegi, long onions, cut diagonally
• 1 bunch Kikuna, cut 2” long
• 1 package tofu, cut 1” width
• 1 package Shimeji mushrooms
• 1 package enoki mushrooms
• 1 carrot, sliced and cut out with flower shaped cookie cutter

Zosui

• 4 cups Dashi from Chanko Nabe
• 2-3 cups cooked rice
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly
• green onions, chopped

Directions

1. Boil Dashi, Soy Sauce, Sake, Mirin and 1 tsp salt together, and keep warm.
2. Rehydrate Harusame by soaking in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and strain.
3. In a medium bowl, add ground chicken, 1/2 tsp salt, chopped green onion, and grated ginger. Mix very well.
4. Start adding table spoon sized balls of ground chicken mixture to the soup. Add pork and vegetables and cook about 10-15 minutes. Add Harusame a couple of minutes before eating.
5. To make Zosui, remove all the ingredients from the soup leaving only the broth (add more Dashi or water to make 4 cups if needed). Add rice and cook until slightly thickened. Add lightly beaten eggs and chopped green onions and stir. Cook for a minute and serve.