JFC’s Yosenabe 寄せ鍋 Hot Pot Recipe

Jul 29, 2023

What is Yosenabe?

Yosenabe is a Japanese hot pot dish that originated in the Kansai region of Japan in the 18th century. It features a variety of ingredients such as meat, seafood, vegetables, and tofu cooked in a flavourful broth, enjoyed in communal settings.

While there isn't a specific story behind the origin of Yosenabe, the name "Yosenabe" translates to "gathered pot," reflecting its nature as a dish, where various ingredients are brought together in a shared cooking experience. Kansai is a culturally significant region of Japan, rich in fishing culture.

The historical roots and regional variations of the recipe, particularly from the Kansai region, add a special cultural and culinary significance, making it a cherished and distinct Japanese hot pot dish.

Why do people love Yosenabe?

People love a Yosenabe Hot Pot dish for its delicious flavours and the fun it brings in sharing a meal. What makes Yosenabe special is the flexibility that comes with a traditional hot pot style meal.


How is Yosenabe traditionally served and eaten?

Traditionally, Yosenabe hot pot is enjoyed together with friends and family. The host prepares a big pot with tasty broth, adding ingredients like meat, seafood, veggies, and tofu. As the pot simmers, everyone takes turns adding and cooking the ingredients. When eating, people use shared chopsticks or utensils to take food from the pot to their own bowls. It's polite to take a modest amount and let the most senior person or the host start eating first. The meal is enjoyed slowly, with conversations and refills of ingredients and broth.

Ingredients

Main

  • 320g White bait fish (Snapper will also work)
  • Seasonal Fish (Options of Red Mullet, turbot, sea breams, salmon or cod)
  • 8 Prawns (Unpeeled prawns are optional)
  • ¼ Chinese Cabbage
  • 8 Shiitake Mushrooms
  • 1 Handful of enoki mushrooms
  • 320g of Tofu (Options of firm, hard, aburaage or tofu puffs)
  • ½ a Carrot
  • 1 Leek
  • 2 stalks of Bok Choy

Soup

  • 800ml water
  • 2 tsp of Dashi Powder
  • 3 tbsp of Sake
  • 3 tbsp mirin
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce

Dipping Sauce

  • 100ml soy sauce
  • 1 Fresh lime (for the juice)
  • ½ Piece of Fresh Orange (for the juice)
  • 2 tbsp mirin

Recipe - Preparation

  1. Slice the fish into approx. 40-60g sized pieces.

  2. Remove and discard the shiitake and enoki mushroom stalks.

  3. Then cut all the vegetables minus the carrot into bite size pieces.

  4. Slice the carrot thinly.

Recipe - Cooking

  1. Bring the soup ingredients to boil, then add the other ingredients, leaving a pinch of dashi powder aside for the dipping sauce.

  2. Once cooked, eat in combination with the dipping sauce.

Recipe - Making the dipping sauce

  1. in a separate bowl, bring the mirin to boil then add the soy sauce, turning off the heat just before it starts to boil.

  2. Squeeze the juices of the lime and orange into the bowl and sprinkle in the last of the dashi powder.

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