Shabu-shabu

Namiko Hirasawa Chen presents shabu shabu as a communal Japanese hot pot. This selected version pairs thin ribeye beef with tofu, three kinds of mushroom, napa cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, white negi and carrot.

Kombu steeps in water, then is removed before boiling. Thick vegetable pieces and tofu cook first; diners swish thin beef in the broth as they eat, with softer leafy vegetables added later.

Two supplied dipping sauces accompany the cooked food: ponzu and sesame sauce. Grated daikon and optional seven-spice season the ponzu, while the same chopped scallion supply is shared between both dips.

Frozen udon are separately reheated, cooled in iced water and drained before the meal. After the main ingredients are eaten, those noodles reheat in the remaining broth, with salt and white pepper optional.

The same individual ponzu bowls are diluted with broth for the noodle course. The author emphasizes a light broth, paper-thin meat and cooking together at the table, with separate shallow bowls available for cooling portions.