The taste of winter! How to make cod hot pot (Chiri-nabe) / recipe

Hi everyone. I’m Jinta from Japan.

In this article, I will introduce how to make Japanese traditional “Chiri-nabe” that you will want to eat in winter. “Chiri-nabe is one of pot dish of fish, tofu, vegetables boiled together and served with ponzu dipping sauce. 

 

You may feel the season when you see the ingredients lined up, and cod is one of them. In area where I live, fresh domestic “cod milt” will start to line up in supermarkets from the beginning of December. When I see it, I feel the arrival of winter, and at the same time, my body wants warmth, saying “I want to eat a warm hot pot.”

 

Do you know which of the cod, male and female, is more popular as an ingredient? The answer is male. The reason is that Shirako(cod milt) is very delicious. The refreshing and creamy taste of the cod milt is another winter taste that has fascinated many people for a long time.

 

By the way, today I have pretty good cod and milt, so I will make a “chirinabe”. Is there such an easy and delicious thing in the world? It is no exaggeration to say that it is a dish that enjoys the ingredients themselves.

 

Let’s start!

Ingredients

• Appropriate amount of cod fillet
• Appropriate amount of cod milt (already boiled)
• 1 tofu
• １／８ Chinese cabbage 
• １／２ carrot
• 5 raw shiitake mushrooms
• Small green onions
• 1 piece of dashi kelp
• Ponzu dipping sauce

This time, Shirako is using the one that has been prepared. Please refer to here for the pretreatment method.▶How to prepare cod milt! And introduce some recipe!

When I buy a milt, I often finish the preparation at once. It’s easier to match it with various dishes later. Once the milt has been heated, all you have to do is add it to the dish.

Even if you use raw milt in a “Chiri-nabe”, after pre-treatment, cut it into bite-sized pieces and heat it for about 3 minutes near the completion of the pot.

 

How to make “Chiri-nabe”

1. Cut the vegetables into pieces that are easy to eat
2. Sprinkle salt on the cod fillet, leave it for about 15 minutes, and wipe it off with paper when it gets wet.
3. Put kelp and root vegetables (carrots) in a pot filled with 800 ml of water and heat. Just before boiling, remove the kelp.
4. When it boils, add tofu, Chinese cabbage core, shiitake mushroom hard tip, and other items that are difficult to cook(soften).
5. When the Chinese cabbage core is cooked, add the cod fillet, shiitake mushrooms and the remaining Chinese cabbage and simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Finally, add the milt and small green onions, and when it’s cooked, it’s done.
7. Enjoy it with ponzu sauce.

Photos and commentary

Sprinkle salt on the cod fillet and leave it for about 15 minutes to remove the odor along with the water. If the fillet has a strong odor, it is a good idea to boil it quickly.

 

When the water comes out, wipe it off with paper.

 

Cut the fillet into pieces that are easy to eat.

 

Put kelp and carrots in a pot filled with water and heat. Just before boiling, take out the kelp. If it is boiled, it will have a off-flavor and sliminess.

 

Add tofu, shiitake mushroom hard tip, and the part close to the core of Chinese cabbage and simmer.

 

When the Chinese cabbage core is cooked, add the remaining Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, and cod fillet. Boil for about 5 minutes. If the milt is raw, it is a good idea to put it here. The point is to shorten the time to heat the cod. If you heat it too much, fillet will become stiff.

▲If you want to make the pot look good, you should arrange the ingredients at this timing. The more ingredients you have, the less likely it is to fall apart, so I think it’s a good idea to decide the location by pushing it in a little.

 

Finally, add the milt and sprinkle the small green onions, and the “Chiri-nabe” is complete.

 

I’ll have it with ponzu sauce.

Ah, it ’s delicious. It will warm up. Vegetables often suck the soup stock of cod.

If you want to have the pot cooked, it is recommended that you add the cod fillet and eat it as soon as it is boiled. Again, the best way to eat cod is to not overcook the fillet and milt! Let’s have it in a state of fresh.

 

 

Summary

This time, I introduced how to make cod chirinabe. It’s a very simple pot where you can enjoy the taste of vegetables and seafood. Why don’t you warm yourself up with a cod chiri-nabe? 

 

Others,

Please refer to My 【Japanese food category】