This may look super fancé, but this Winter hot pot is surprisingly straight forward to make. Trust me.
I've tried it with pre-sliced Wagyu beef and pork belly – either are great. You should be able to find these in the frozen section of your local Asian grocer.
Makes enough for 2 hungry people, or 4 as part of a shared course with other yummy things.
Ingredients
Stuffed Cabbage
–
1 wombok cabbage 250g sliced Wagyu beef 6 spring onions, finely sliced on an angle (save a bit for garnish)
1 bunch of fresh shiso, washed and leaves picked (save the cute smaller leaves for garnish) Any Asian mushrooms you like, I used Pearl Oyster
Broth
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Thumb sized amount of ginger, peeled and sliced 3 cups dashi (I used packet dashi) 2 tbs sake 1 tbs tamari ½ tsp salt flakes
Dipping Sauce
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Ponzu Tamari Shichimi Togarashi
spring onions, finely sliced
To Serve
–
Shichimi Togarashi Sesame seeds Ito Tograshi (superfine strands of dried chilli) Reserved spring onions and shiso leaves
Stuffed Cabbage
Let the Wagyu beef thaw on the bench while you prep the cabbage.
Cut the cabbage into quarters lengthwise, leaving the core in tact. Wash the leaves, separating the layers as you go and drain well. Save any of the stray leaves, they’re good for filling in any gaps. Starting from the bottom of each wedge, place a slice of Wagyu beef between the cabbage leaves, follow with sliced spring onions and shiso leaves.
When you get to the narrow layers of the cabbage that are a bit too tricky to stuff, break these off and save them for something else. (Great for okonomiyaki as part of a shared course). Once the four cabbage wedges are stuffed, cut each one into three portions, then cut and discard the core last. Start placing the filled cabbage portions around the outer edge of your pot, working towards the centre. (I used a 20cm pot but eyeball what you have and pick a pot that will be a snug fit).
Pack tightly as it will shrink once cooked, finish by tucking some mushrooms in the centre.
Broth Combine the broth ingredients and pour over the layers of cabbage. Cook on the stove on high heat.
Once boiling, skim the foam and fat from the surface. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until cabbage is tender and beef is cooked through. I like to put the lid on for a little bit so the mushrooms steam up a little.
Dipping Sauce
Mix equal parts of ponzu sauce and tamari into small bowls (one person), add spring onions and shichimi togarashi to taste.
To Serve
Garnish the hot pot with shichimi togarashi, sesame seeds, reserved spring onion and shiso leaves.
Serve hot with dipping sauce and steamed rice.