P2JW132000-4-D00500-1--------XA THE WALL STREET JOURNAL. **** Saturday/Sunday, May12-13, 2018 | D5 EATING & DRINKING MEGA MEAL (2) ONE FOR THE TEAM Ty pically, sukiyaki is a group GES IMA effort. Ingredients cook on a Cook, portable burner at the table. GETTY ERS; MY ZIE SU Memory BY YLING ST OP Forthis writer,nodish comfortsquite PR N, likesukiyaki, the Japanese one-pot feast OW BR UGHT meat or fish) and everyone HA BY ELEANORE PARK canparticipateinthe cook- ing,which makes it fun.” CAITLIN HEN I think When Icontacted Ms.Ha- BY back to the chisu, she told me she partic- YLING night be- ularly appreciates the little ST OD fore I bowls of whisked rawegg, FO W boarded a typically provided with no one-way flight to NewYork sauceorseasoning.“Thelus- from California five yearsago, cious eggencases each bite JOURNAL, Ithink of sukiyaki. with itsown sweet gentle- REET ST This Japanese dish of beef ness,” she wroteinanemail. LL and vegetables,tucked into At the end of the meal, left- WA their pot in atidy pinwheel, over broth—known as shime, THE R wasafixtureofmychild- loosely translating to “fin- FO hood. We ateitafew times a ish”—provides an opportunity month, not necessarily to to continue indulging.Naoko SEARS mark aspecial occasion, but TakeiMoore, owner of Toiro, a TE KA it always felt likeafeast. That donabe storeiNlos Angeles, last,anxious dinner beforeI and author of “Donabe: Classic Beef Sukiyaki 1 lefthome to flyaway intoa and Modern Japanese ClayPot The ideal pot forthis recipe is a10/2-inch large donabe (also known as anabe), available at toirokitchen.com. newlife, the sukiyaki, at least, Cooking,” suggested simmer- A6-quart Dutch oven will work, too. Produceand other ingredientscan be found at Asian grocery stores. 1 wassureand familiar. ing noodles in it foranaddi- ACTIVE TIME: 45 minutes TOTAL TIME: 8/2 hours(includesovernight chilling) SERVES: 4 My mother,who is Korean, tional course.“Afteryou eat 1 didn’t grow up with this dish; all the ingredients, save what- Forthe sauce: and trimmed, cut into /2 bunch spinach (about 7 6ounces yamnoodles, 1 she had it forthe firsttime in ever leftoverbroth and cook 2cups soysauce 2/2 inch pieces,shaved ounces), base trimmed rinsed well and drained Paris,traveling with her par- some type of flat udon,” she 5cups water thinly on amandoline 8Napacabbage leaves 4ounces enoki entsasayoung woman. Be- said.“Enjoythe finishing.The 1(4-by-5-inch) piecekombu 3ounces medium shiitake (about 8ounces), 2inches mushrooms, trimmed 1 1 cause this happened well be- flavorsare big.” /2 medium onion, peeled mushrooms, trimmed of base trimmed away 1/2 scallions, trimmed and fore we all started relying on Until afew months ago— 2tablespoons mirin and cleaned 1tablespoons vegetable oil cut on the bias 1 theinternet forrecipes,she despitemyexperiencecook- 1ouncemedium shiitake 6ounces extra-firm tofu, /2 medium onion, thinly 2ounces shungiku (garland simply made amental noteof ing in restaurantsand acon- mushrooms, trimmed drained sliced chrysanthemum), tough the ingredients, paying atten- tinent between my mother’s Pinch of sugar Seasalt 8ounces sukiyaki beefor stems removed tion to what she found beau- sukiyaki and me—I’dnever at- Forthe sukiyaki and assembly: 4ounces (about 2cups) ribeye,thinly Freshly ground black pepper 1 tiful and howittasted so she tempted to makethe dish my- 1/2 ounces burdock, peeled mung bean sprouts sliced and trimmed 4large eggs could recreatethe dish. self.Onavisit to California, I Our home-cooked sukiyaki requested alesson. 1. Makesauce: In alarge saucepan, com- pinch of salt. Blanch spinach 30 pieces,until onions areslightly always included aparade of My mother demonstrated bine soysauce, water, kombu, onions, mirin seconds, then drain and rinse soft and beef is browned but vibrant greens,squidgymush- her method forrolling spinach and mushrooms. Bring to aboil overme- under cold water. Fold spinach still rare in the middle,about 5 rooms,thinly sliced beef and inside cylindersofNapa cab- dium-high heat. Reduceheatand simmer, in paper towels and wring out as minutes.Push beef and onions small bowls of whisked raw bage. Prepping the vegetables, stirring occasionally,10minutes.Add sugar much water as possible. Set aside. to the side and add drained burdock. eggmixed with alittle of the Ihad to suppressthe urge to to taste. Remove from heat and discard 6. Fill saucepan with waterand bring to a Cook burdock, stirring occasionally without broth leftoverfromcooking; season as Iwent—a habit ac- mushrooms, kombu and onions. (Mush- boil oncemore. Addalarge pinch of salt disturbing beef and onions, until softened we’d use chopsticks to pluck quired in restaurant kitchens. rooms canbereserved foranother use.) and cabbage,pushing leaves down to sub- slightly,3-5 minutes.Push burdock to side. just-cooked bites from the So much of the flavoring in Chill, covered, overnight, to let flavors meld. merge completely,and cook until softened, Working quickly,add shiitakemushrooms, pot, dip them in eggy broth sukiyaki comes of the ingredi- Remove from refrigerator beforeusing. 1-2 minutes.Drain and rinse under cold tofu, mung beans, cabbage rolls, noodles and pop them in our mouths. entshanging out together in 2. In asmall bowl, combine burdock and water. Gently push down on cabbage to ex- and enoki mushrooms, arranging ingredi- At my mother’s Japanese res- the pot. Thefresh bitterness enough cold watertocover. Chill overnight. pel as much wateraspossible.Lay cab- entsinindividual sections. Set anyingredi- taurant, Mikado,iNlos Altos, of the shungiku, avariety of Drain beforeusing. (If burdock is dirty, rinse, bage leaves flat on apaper towel-lined entsthat don’tfit aside.Pour 1cup sauce an entiresection of the menu chrysanthemum, mellows as drain and repeat until waterruns clear.) work surfacewith trimmed root end near- all overall ingredientsand bring to aboil. 1 wasfocused on sukiyaki. the leaveswilt. Themush- 3. Thinly slice half the mushrooms. Score estyou. Pattops dry with paper towels. Pour moresauce, /4 cup at atime,oversec- This food falls intothe cat- rooms absorb the broth as it an “x” on top of the remaining whole Working with one cabbage leaf at atime, tions of noodles, tofu and mushrooms. Add egoryknown as nabemono or reduces,soeach biteofshii- mushrooms. Gently press on tofu to ex- placealarge pinch of spinach at end clos- moresauceall oversukiyaki to taste, being nabe,traditionally made in take or enoki is different from pel as much water as possible, and pat esttoyou. Roll cabbage leaf away from mindful that mostofseasoning happens Japanese earthenware called the last, reminding youtostay dry with paper towel. Cut tofu in half you(as if rolling acigar). Tr im cabbage while eating and the dish should not be donabe,often on aportable put and savoreach one. crosswise, then slice again into roll ends so that youhaveperfectcyl- soupy. Reserveremaining sauce. Addscal- 1 burner at the table.In“Japan: Initially,mymother batted /2-inch thick pieces. Set aside. inders. Reserveleftovercabbage lions and shungiku to pot in separatesec- TheCookbook,” NancySingle- away the measuring cups I’d 4. Fill amedium sauce- leaves.Cut cabbage rolls in half and tions. Coverand let simmer until shungiku tonHachisu devotes achapter brought along.Iexplained pan with waterand bring longer onesintothirds. Set aside. is slightly wilted, 1minutemore. Lightly to nabemono,including reci- that Ineeded them to commit to aboil overmedium-high 7. Set alarge nabe or 6-quart Dutch sprinkle black pepper all oversukiyaki. pes forsukiyaki. She de- the recipe to paper.For her, heat. Addalarge pinch of ovenonatabletop burner at the table. 8. To serve, divide ¾ cup sauceamong scribes this kind of meal as the mental notes she took the salt. Addmung beans and (Alternatively,work on stove and four small bowls. Crack an egg intoeach “the entertaining dish of firsttime she had the dish cook until slightly softened, transfer to table to serve.)Heatoil bowl. Using chopsticks, lightly beat eggs choicewith young people,be- over 30 yearsago have always about 1minute. Drain and rinse overmedium-high heat until shim- to incorporate. Dip sukiyaki ingredientsinto cause it is effortlesstoput to- been enough. “It is the perfect with cold water. Set aside. mering. Addonion and beef and saucewith egg. If using atabletop burner, gether (cut up some ingredi- food,” she said. “BeforeeveN 5. Fill saucepan with water and cook, stirring often using tongs continue to cook remaining ingredients, entsand bring to the table), eating,just looking at it is bring to a boil again. Add a large or chopsticks to separatebeef serving and eating in rounds. affordable (depending on the comforting and satisfying.” Gold CupAuthentic Original Boat Shoe Available at Sperry.com.