Combine all the soup base ingredients in a large pot and give it a good stir.

Then, add the sliced pork, aburaage (fried tofu), and vegetables.

Put a lid on the pot and turn the heat to medium. Let everything cook together until the Napa cabbage becomes tender and the pork is cooked through, which should take about 10 minutes.

The cabbage will release its natural sweetness into the broth during this time.

Once the vegetables have reached your desired tenderness and the pork is fully cooked, add in the freshly grated daikon radish. Finish by drizzling with toasted sesame oil, sprinkling with chopped green onions, and adding a generous grind of black pepper.

Serve in individual bowls while it’s still hot. Each person can add their own touch by using yuzu kosho (citrus chili paste) or shichimi togarashi (seven-spice powder) to suit their own heat preference.

Place the kombu in a large pot and cover with cold water. Let it steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes to get the most out of the umami flavor.

Add the drumsticks to the pot and heat over medium heat until it’s almost boiling. When small bubbles appear around the edges, remove and discard the kombu.

Skim off any foam that rises to the surface to ensure a clear and clean-tasting broth.

Now, add the pumpkin and carrots to the pot. These dense vegetables need more cooking time to get tender and soak up that broth. If you plan to use other hardy root vegetables, add them here.

Cover and simmer over low to medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Add the rest of your vegetables, shrimp, seasonings, and cheese to the pot. Give it a gentle stir to mix everything together, but be careful not to overdo it and break up the ingredients.

Cover and simmer for another 5-10 minutes or until the shrimp and chicken are cooked through. The vegetables should be tender but still hold their shape.

Pour the hot pot into individual bowls, making sure each one has a good mix of proteins, vegetables, and broth.

When you’re done with all the ingredients, cook the ramen or udon noodles in a separate pot following the package instructions. Drain and rinse them under water to get rid of the excess starch, then toss them into the rest of the curry broth.

This hot pot finish will transform the leftover broth into a satisfying noodle course.

Begin by combining water and kombu (dried seaweed) in a large pot to make the base stock. Allow to steep at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

This steeping time allows the kombu to release its natural umami compounds without becoming bitter.

While the kombu is soaking, prepare all the vegetables, salmon and other ingredients.

• Tofu: Large cubes
• Carrots: Rounds
• Onions: Sliced
• Shiitake mushrooms: Stems removed
• Leeks: Diagonally sliced and decorated (if you like)
• Potatoes: Peeled and thickly sliced
• Cabbage: Roughly cut

Preparing everything before cooking ensures a smooth cooking process!

After 30 minutes, place the pot over medium heat. Watch carefully – when small bubbles begin to form, but before it reaches a full boil, reduce the heat to low and remove the kombu. Add sake, mirin and soy sauce to complete the base stock.

Place the ingredients in the pot in layers, starting with the items that will take the longest to cook: place the harder vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, on the bottom, followed by the cabbage and mushrooms, then the seafood on top.

Increase the heat to medium-high and once the broth is bubbling, cover and cook continue to cook for 5 minutes or until the root vegetables are fork-tender and the salmon is cooked through.

Once the vegetables are tender, reduce the heat to the lowest setting. Using a miso strainer or fine-mesh sieve, slowly add the miso paste to the broth, stirring gently to incorporate.

Add butter just before serving to enrich the broth.

Portion into individual serving bowls, and sprinkle a bit of sansho pepper if you have it.

After enjoying the main ingredients, cook the udon noodles in a separate pot according to package directions. Drain thoroughly and add to the remaining broth for a satisfying finish to your meal.

The concentrated broth creates a flavorful noodle dish!

Remove each cabbage leaf from the head one by one, and keep them whole.

Next, stack the cabbage leaves with the thinly sliced pork, one leaf and a layer of pork on top of it, then another leaf. Keep going with this pattern until you’ve used up all your ingredients.

This layering technique is what gives the dish its distinctive mille-feuille look and ensures everything cooks evenly.

Use a sharp knife to cut your layered stack into pieces about 5 cm (2 inches) wide.

Next, transfer the cut sections to a wide, heavy-bottomed pan/pot.

I recommend arranging it around the edge of the pot first and filling the middle last.

Pour the dashi, sake, sesame oil, chicken bouillon powder and ground black pepper over the arranged layers.

Place the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a gentle boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 20 minutes.

While the hot pot is simmering, get your dipping sauce and condiments ready. Just pour the ponzu sauce into individual serving bowls. If you’re using any optional condiments, just set out small dishes of yuzu kosho, freshly grated daikon radish, and shichimi togarashi.

Use cooking chopsticks or tongs to carefully transfer the cooked layers to serving bowls. Dip each piece in ponzu sauce before you eat it. For variety in flavor, try mixing up the condiments in your ponzu.

The freshness of grated daikon really shines when paired with the rich pork and tender cabbage.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the cabbage leaves and blanch for about 1 minute.

Remove the leaves with tongs or a slotted spoon and place them in a colander to drain.

Let the leaves cool until you can handle them comfortably.

This quick blanching softens the leaves, making them pliable for rolling without overcooking.

While the cabbage cools, you can get the broth ready. Just mix all the broth ingredients in a separate pot and heat it over medium until it almost boils.

Then take it off the heat and set it aside.

Lay out the cooled cabbage leaves on a flat surface.

Put two slices of pork belly on each leaf and sprinkle with a pinch of black pepper.

Fold the parallel sides of the leaf over the long edges of the pork.

Then roll up tightly from the bottom to the top, making sure the pork stays inside during cooking.

Arrange the rolls in a large, clean pot or deep skillet, seam-side down, in one layer.

Next, pour the prepared broth over the rolls, making sure it’s evenly distributed.

Put a drop lid directly on top of the rolls to keep them submerged.

Bring the broth to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low and simmer for 15 minutes.

Gently transfer the cooked rolls to a serving plate with tongs. Save the remaining broth in the pot.

In a small bowl, mix potato starch and water to create a slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the broth, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Return the pot to medium heat and cook, stirring gently, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy. The starch slurry acts as a thickening agent, creating a silky sauce that clings to the rolls.

Top the cabbage rolls with the thickened sauce.

Then add a sprinkle of parsley to give it a fresh, colorful finish.

First, cut the yellowtail into large bite-sized pieces, place them in a heatproof bowl, sprinkle them with salt, and leave them to the side.

While the yellowtail sits, prepare a pot of boiling water-big enough for the daikon radishes. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and add the daikon radishes, which I’ve cut into thick rounds which are then halved. They need about 30 minutes to become tender.

After the radishes are tender enough, scoop them out and let them drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, boil some water in a kettle. While you wait for it to boil, quickly rinse the yellowtail under running cold water, then put it back in its bowl. I also prepare a bowl of ice water on the side at this point.

Once the kettle water is ready, I pour it over the yellowtail to blanch it for about 10 seconds, then immediately plunge the fish into the ice water.

Now, in a clean pot, I combine water, sake, sugar, boiled radishes, and the blanched yellowtail. Bring this mix to a boil over medium heat.

As soon as it starts boiling, turn the heat down to medium-low, then add soy sauce, mirin, a dry chili pepper, and kombu.

Cover the pot with a drop-lid (or a piece of parchment paper cut to fit) and let it all simmer gently for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, Remove the drop-lid and crank the heat up to high for 2 minutes. This last blast of heat intensifies the dish’s flavors.

Finally, I sprinkle some fine matchsticks of ginger over the top and serve.

The secret to delicious caramelized onions is patience.

Start by thinly slicing the onion. Then, in a pan with a bit of oil, cook them over low heat for about 30 minutes.

They’ll slowly turn wonderfully sweet and golden. If they start to stick, a splash of water does the trick.

This is a time-consuming process, so move on to other preparations while the onions are frying, making sure to mix them occasionally and add water if necessary.

For the beef, I just chop it into bite-sized cubes. This is flexible, so go with what feels suitable for you.

Then, season the beef with salt and pepper and give it a light dusting of flour. It’s a small step but it makes a big difference in the stew’s texture.

Next up, melt some unsalted butter in a pan over medium heat.

Add the beef and brown it. The beef doesn’t need to be fully cooked; just aim for a nice sear on each side.

Using a deep pan here helps later on, as you can use the same pan to make the entire stew.

Once the beef is browned, add red wine, water, canned tomatoes, bay leaves, rosemary, and your caramelized onions.

Bring this to a boil, then lower the heat to low and let it simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.

After simmering, turn off the heat and let the stew rest for an hour.

This waiting period is key – it allows the flavors to meld beautifully.

For the final flourish, remove the rosemary and reheat the stew, bringing it to a boil.

Then, lower the heat and add grated garlic, carrots, mushrooms, honey, ketchup, grated apple, Worcestershire sauce, miso paste, and dark chocolate.

Let this simmer with the lid slightly ajar for another hour, stirring occasionally.

This blend of ingredients might sound unusual, but trust me, it creates a rich, complex flavor that’s absolutely worth it.

After 1 hour, give the stew a final taste test and season to preference using salt and pepper.

Serve with warm baguette and enjoy!

Add the S&B curry powder and cumin powder to a dry pan and heat over a medium setting. This will toast the spices and release their aroma. Stir and shake the pan occasionally to toast evenly and prevent burning.

Once it smells fragrant and has darkened slightly, remove from the heat.

Heat a separate pan on medium and add a cube of beef fat. (If you don’t want to use beef fat, you could use lard, butter or a cooking oil of your choice.) Once melted slightly, add finely chopped garlic and ginger, and fry until fragrant.

Add thinly sliced onions to the pan and stir-fry until golden and translucent.

Once golden, lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the onions become soft, dark brown and caramelized. This usually takes approximately 20-30 minutes. I leave the fat in the pan to help prevent sticking, but add a few tablespoons from water from time to time to help soften the onions further.

Once caramelized, remove the beef fat (if used) and mix in all-purpose flour. This will help bind everything together to make a paste. Adding flour is what will help thicken the roux later too.

Add your toasted spices from earlier and mix until evenly distributed.

Add a small amount of beef stock and mix to loosen the roux.

Once smooth, add the rest of the stock gradually while whisking.

Add coriander powder, marmalade, ground cloves, cardamom powder and ginger powder and mix thoroughly.

Finally, add a bay leaf and simmer without a lid for about 2 hours or until it reduces to a thick paste. This will create a concentrated curry paste that can be used like Japanese curry roux.

Tip: This recipe uses beef stock made with stock cubes. If you want to reduce the simmering time, try making a concentrated stock with less water. This is especially useful if you are doubling or tripling the recipe.

Once the roux has thickened to a paste, transfer to a wide container and leave to cool.

Once cool to touch, place a lid on top and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. This roux can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

Cut the beef into bitesize pieces and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Peel the carrot and potato and cut them into large bitesize pieces. Try and keep the size of the vegetables uniform to help them cook more evenly.

Heat a large pot on medium and melt the butter. Add the beef and seal the surface on all sides.

Add the carrot, potato and soy sauce and stir everything together for about 1-2 minutes. I add the soy sauce at this point to add flavor to the vegetables.

Add the homemade curry roux and your choice of cooking liquid. I used black tea, but other options include dashi or plain water.

Mix thoroughly until the roux has dissolved into the liquid.

Now is your chance to get experimental and add a range of “secret ingredients.” In this recipe, I add honey, apple jam, Worcestershire sauce, garam masala, coffee powder, nutmeg, and red wine. This might seem like a lot of random ingredients, but complexity is key. If you want more ideas for secret ingredients and their characteristics, check out all my secret tips here.

Simmer for about 10-20 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and the curry has thickened to your liking.

Serve homemade Japanese beef curry with white rice and pickles (optional). Maybe you could add a piece of katsu (fried pork cutlet) for an extra treat!

Enjoy!

Take a pot that fits a steaming basket, fill it with water and bring it to a boil. While you wait, wash, peel and cut the carrot, lotus root, burdock root and taro into bitesize pieces. They should be fairly large so that they don’t cook too quickly and fall apart during the cooking process. Once cut, soak in water to prevent discolorization.

Once the pot of water is boiling, drain the bowl and place the carrot, lotus root, burdock root and taro in the steaming basket. Steam over a medium heat for 10 minutes.

While they’re steaming you can start cooking the chicken. Once 10 minutes are up, be sure to remove the steaming basket from the heat to avoid overcooking.

Heat a large pan or pot on medium. Once hot, add a drizzle of sesame oil and place the pieces of chicken thigh in the pan with the skin side facing down. Seal on all sides until golden.

Once the chicken is sealed, add the steamed vegetables to the pot along with the shiitake mushrooms (quartered) and konnyaku (cut into bitesize pieces). Mix thoroughly and fry for about 1 minute.

Pour the dashi into the pot and add light brown sugar and sake.

Place a drop lid on top, it should be in direct contact with the surface of the ingredients and broth. This will stop the ingredients from moving around too much and prevent them from breaking. If you don’t have a drop lid (or in my case, don’t have a big enough drop lid!) you can use baking paper or foil.

Bring the liquid to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium-low. Allow to simmer until the liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes).

Peel back the drop lid and pour in the soy sauce and mirin. Tilt the pan from side to side to distribute the condiments evenly; avoid mixing since this might break the vegetables. Place the drop lid back on and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced to one-third.

Once the liquid has reduced, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool for one hour. This is an optional step for the best flavor, but if you don’t have time, you can move on to the next step.

Add soy sauce and mirin and bring to a boil over medium heat. Tilt the pan to evenly distribute the condiments, again avoiding mixing. Feel free to taste test and add additional soy sauce, mirin or sugar to suit your taste.

Once boiling, turn the heat back down to simmer.

Boil a small pot of water and blanch the snow peas for about 1 minute. Use a mesh spoon to remove them from the pot, run them under cold water, and cut them in half.

Divide the chikuzenni into serving bowls and decorate with snow peas.

Enjoy!

The first step is to soak the kombu in the water to make kombu dashi. You can soak it for as little as 30 minutes or as long as 24 hours, depending on how strong you want the dashi to be. If you have time, this can be prepared the night before.

Since shabu shabu is cooked at the table, the ingredients should be washed, cut and arranged on plates or trays in advance. In my recipe, I use chives, beansprouts, shungiku (chrysanthemum greens), enoki mushrooms, napa cabbage, shimeji mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, and carrots. Carrots take longer to cook and should be thinly sliced to reduce the cooking time. Everything else can be cut into bite-sized pieces or left whole.

I also use vermicelli noodles in the recipe. If you wish to use them too, choose a type with little to no cooking time. You want to be able to cook them quickly by swishing them in the bubbling broth and then take them straight back out without letting go. (Once you drop them in the broth, they will become lost and difficult to take out.)

Cut the firm tofu into cubes, toast your mochi (if using), and precook the noodles of your choice (udon, soba, or kishimen).

Take the meat out of the fridge about 20 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. This will help keep the meat tender and prevent too much shrinking when it’s cooked.

Since the meat used for shabu shabu is cut extremely thin, I recommend buying it from your local Japanese supermarket or butcher rather than trying to cut it yourself at home.

To make the sesame sauce, mix sesame paste, soy sauce, miso paste, rice vinegar, salt and sugar in a bowl until smooth. You can use store bought ponzu sauce, but if you’re interested in making your own, check out my ponzu sauce recipe here.

Divide the sauce so that each person has 2 of their own individual bowls for dipping, one with sesame sauce and one with ponzu sauce.

Okay, they’re not technically toppings, but these additional ingredients can be used to change the flavor of the sauces either to your personal preference or throughout the course of the meal to make it more interesting.

Grated garlic, chives, and chili oil can be added to the sesame sauce, whereas momiji oroshi (top right) and chopped spring onion are usually added to the ponzu. If you can’t find momiji oroshi (grated daikon mixed with chili) you could also substitute for regular grated daikon radish instead.

At high-end restaurants, each customer will have their own array of tiny bowls filled with these toppings. However, to avoid washing many dishes at home, it’s fine to divide them into larger communal bowls and allow your guests to help themselves.

Once the kombu has rehydrated and soaked for at least 30 minutes, add the sake and yuzu peel, then place the pot on the stove. Bring the broth to almost boiling and then remove the kombu. (You can discard or use it to make this kombu tsukudani onigiri!)

Allow the broth to boil for a few minutes, then set the heat to medium. Remove the yuzu peel and then you’re ready to start cooking!

Start by allowing each person to cook a piece of beef by swishing it back and forth in the bubbling broth. It will cook in seconds and should still be a little pink, so be careful not to leave it in there for too long! Once you pull it out, dip it in either sesame or ponzu sauce and enjoy.

This first step not only allows you to appreciate the high-quality beef on its own but also adds a little fat and meaty essence to the broth.

Next, add the carrot, mushrooms, napa cabbage, and tofu.

You can continue to enjoy the meat while the vegetables are cooking.

As the vegetables soften to your preference, take them out and enjoy with your choice of sauce.

Once there starts to become more space in the pot, add the beansprouts, chives and shungiku.

Simmer for a few minutes, and then eat up the vegetables until there’s nothing left in the pot.

Give each person a portion of vermicelli noodles and swish them in the broth.

Since these noodles are clear, be careful not to drop them; otherwise, they will become lost in the broth. Once they’re cooked, take them out and dip them in your choice of sauce.

Before the final course, scoop out any scum or lost ingredients using a mesh spoon.

Next, divide the broth into serving bowls. Since the broth is still very mild in taste, season it generously with salt and pepper to your taste. (Drink a bit on its own to test.) Alternatively, you could add soy sauce instead.

Finally, add the cooked noodles and mochi to the pot to warm them through.

Divide the mochi and noodles between each serving bowl.

Garnish with chopped spring onion, and enjoy this final course!