Oden

Oden is a great winter dish in Japan and is one of my favorites that makes me all nostalgic and stuff. I've tried to make this many times, but this recipe is the one that I finally said "fuck yeah" to. I was reminded of the importance of good quality and local ingredients with this recipe, a hallmark of Japanese cuisine. One of my schools gave me a huge batch of root vegetables and I immediately thought of some sort of nabe dish, then I thought, oden! All the ingredients for this recipe, except the tofu, were all produced locally, and they taste so much better this year. Like the miso paste I bought has provided so many happy tummy moments. I suppose it was a good harvest year after all. Using shiitake instead of the traditional fish broth also makes this dish nice and vegan. Happy cold weather warm soup eating!


(This picture does not do this dish justice, sorry)

Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients:

Good quality dried shiitake, about 1 to 2 cups dry
Dashi konbu, a large square about the size of your palm
Rock salt, 1/2 tablespoon
Soy sauce, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons
Miso paste (without dashi), 2 tablespoons
Root vegetables such as daikon and turnips, I used 5 turnips, 3 small daikon, cut up into bite size chunks
Fried tofu, big slabs. I used 2 packages worth and cut the big traingle pieces in half

Dried wakame (optional)

Place the dried muchrooms in a small pot and cover with a good amount of water. Let sit for at least 2 hours.

Pour the mushrooms with their broth into a large pot. Add the konbu, the salt, the soy sauce, and the miso paste.

Add the root vegetables and the tofu. Add water to cover everything generously, just like a broth soup. Bring to a boil.

Once the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The vegetables should be soft.

Place some dried wakame in a serving bowl and ladle some of the oden in. Let sit for a minute or two so the wakame can expand. Serve hot, just like a good brothy soup.

This dish tastes even better the next day when the flavors mesh well. Enjoy!

Root vegetable ideas: carrots, potatoes, renkon, sweet potato, etc.