Oden

Ingredients

Broth

• 2 litresdashi
• 80 mllight soy sauce, usukuchi
• 60 mlmirin
• 2 tbspsake
• 1 tspsalt

Daikon

• 1large daikon, in 4 cm rounds
• 2 tbsprice, or rice washing water

Konnyaku

• 1block konnyaku
• 1 tbspsalt

Fish cakes

• chikuwa
• satsuma-age
• hanpen
• gobo-ten

Also

• 6eggs, hard-boiled and peeled
• 6potatoes
• 1block firm tofu
• atsuage, fried tofu
• kombu, tied into knots
• mochi kinchaku, mochi in fried tofu pouches

To serve

• karashi, hot Japanese mustard
• yuzu kosho

Directions

1. Peel the daikon rounds thickly and bevel the cut edges with a knife. Bevelling the edges stops them chipping and crumbling during a long simmer, which is a small step that visibly changes the finished pot.
2. Score a shallow cross on one face of each round. Parboil the daikon for 20 minutes in water with a spoonful of rice, or in rice washing water. Rinse the parboiled daikon and set it aside. Rub the pieces with salt and let them stand 10 minutes, then boil them for 3 minutes and drain.
3. Pour boiling water over the fish cakes in a sieve to wash off their surface oil. That rinse stops a slick of oil forming on the broth, and it takes ten seconds.
4. Combine the dashi, soy, mirin, sake and salt in a wide shallow pot. Use light soy sauce, usukuchi, not dark. Oden broth should be pale gold and clear, and dark soy turns it muddy brown.
5. Add the daikon, konnyaku, potatoes, kombu knots and eggs first and bring to a bare simmer. Simmer these for a full hour, uncovered or barely covered. Never let it boil. Add the fish cakes and fried tofu for the last 20 minutes.
6. Add hanpen for the last 5 minutes only, because it is soft and puffs up and falls apart if simmered long. Now the part that matters most: take it off the heat and let it cool completely, then reheat it gently before serving.
7. Serve in bowls with plenty of broth and a dab of hot karashi mustard on the side.

Technique

• Every region has its own broth: Kanto is soy-forward, Kansai lighter, Shizuoka dark with beef stock.
• The pot is topped up over several days in a household, with items added as others are eaten.
• Beef tendon skewers are a common addition in western Japan.

Substitutions

• Instant dashi granules, which are what most Japanese households use on a weeknight.
• Any firm fish cake, or make it vegetarian with tofu, daikon and kombu alone.

Variations

• Miso oden, with a sweet miso sauce on the side.
• Shizuoka oden, dark and served with fish powder and aonori.
• Vegetarian, with kombu dashi.

History

Evolved from Muromachi dengaku, tofu grilled with miso; Edo cooks simmered it in soy dashi, and convenience stores made it a winter fixture.

Frequently asked questions

What is Oden?

Oden is a soup & stew from Japan: winter hotpot of daikon, eggs and fish cakes in light dashi. Evolved from Muromachi dengaku, tofu grilled with miso; Edo cooks simmered it in soy dashi, and convenience stores made it a winter fixture.

How long does Oden take to make?

Oden takes 40 min of preparation and 2 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Oden?

Yes, within limits. Instant dashi granules, which are what most Japanese households use on a weeknight. Any firm fish cake, or make it vegetarian with tofu, daikon and kombu alone.

What is the most important thing to get right in Oden?

Add the daikon, konnyaku, potatoes, kombu knots and eggs first and bring to a bare simmer. Simmer these for a full hour, uncovered or barely covered. Never let it boil. Add the fish cakes and fried tofu for the last 20 minutes.