Chanko Nabe

Name: Chanko Nabe
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 4 cup low-sodium chicken broth; 2 cup dashi; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/3 cup mirin; 1/4 cup sake; 2 tbsp sugar; 1 tsp kosher salt; 1 lb ground chicken; 1/2 tsp kosher salt; 1 large egg; 3 tbsp scallions; 1 tbsp fresh ginger; 1 tbsp potato starch; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1/2 med Napa cabbage; 2 large leeks; 1 med daikon radish; 1 large carrot; 1 med burdock root; 14 oz firm tofu; 2 small aburaage; 8 oz shiitake mushrooms; 8 oz enoki mushrooms; 1 lb frozen Sanuki udon noodles

ちゃんこ鍋·(chahn-koh nah-beh)

Hare no Hi: Weekend Rituals & Family Tables

Chanko nabe is famously the hot pot that fuels Japan's sumo wrestlers, but beyond the stable walls, it is the ultimate homestyle weekend ritual. Rooted in the superstition that a wrestler must always stand on two legs, the traditional soppu-daki style relies entirely on chicken to build a deeply savory, golden broth. Instead of boiling carcasses for hours, the smart home cook fortifies a high-quality stock with quick dashi and a sweet soy glaze. The real secret here is the tsukune—chicken meatballs kneaded vigorously until sticky before hitting the heat, ensuring they stay bouncy and perfume the entire pot with ginger and rendered fat. It is a restorative, communal meal meant to be cooked at the center of the table, ending with a glorious slurry of udon noodles tossed into the rich, reduced broth.

Before you start

Quickly brew two cups of dashi by steeping a four-inch piece of dried kombu and a handful of katsuobushi in hot water for ten minutes, then strain.
Shave the scrubbed burdock root into thin strips as if you were sharpening a pencil.
Soak the shavings in cold water for ten minutes to remove their bitter astringency, then drain well before adding to the pot.

Ingredients

low-sodium chicken broth4 cup
dashi2 cup
soy sauce1/2 cup
mirin1/3 cup
sake1/4 cup
sugar2 tbsp
kosher salt1 tsp
ground chicken1 lb
kosher salt1/2 tsp
egg1 large
scallions3 tbsp
fresh ginger1 tbsp
potato starch1 tbsp
soy sauce1 tbsp
boneless skinless chicken thighs1 lb
Napa cabbage1/2 med
leeks2 large
daikon radish1 med
carrot1 large
burdock root1 med
firm tofu14 oz
aburaage2 small
shiitake mushrooms8 oz
enoki mushrooms8 oz
frozen Sanuki udon noodles1 lb

Method

01
Combine the ground chicken and half-teaspoon of kosher salt in a medium bowl, then knead vigorously with your hands for at least sixty seconds.
Do not skip this. The mechanical agitation dissolves the proteins, turning the meat pale and sticky. This chemical change is the grandmother trick that ensures the meatballs remain bouncy and cohesive, trapping the moisture and fat inside.
02
Mix in the egg, scallions, grated ginger, potato starch, and tablespoon of soy sauce until thoroughly combined, then refrigerate.
The mixture will be quite wet, which is exactly what you want for a tender tsukune.
03
Combine the chicken broth, dashi, half-cup of soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and teaspoon of salt in a donabe or wide Dutch oven.
Set it over medium-high heat on the kitchen stove and bring it to a gentle simmer. It should taste potent and slightly sweet; it will mellow out perfectly once the vegetables release their water.
04
Add the daikon half-moons, carrot rounds, and drained burdock root to the simmering broth and cook for five to seven minutes.
These earthy root vegetables need a head start to soften and to begin flavoring the liquid.
05
Form the chilled tsukune mixture into golf-ball-sized rounds, dropping them gently into the simmering broth alongside the bite-sized chicken thighs.
As the meatballs cook, they will float to the top and release their savory chicken fat and ginger essence into the soup. Skim off any grayish foam that rises to the surface to keep the broth clean.
06
Carefully transfer the pot to a portable tabletop burner set to medium-low.
Cooking and eating together at the center of the table is the core of the chanko nabe experience.
07
Add the Napa cabbage cores, leeks, tofu cubes, aburaage, shiitake, and enoki mushrooms, finishing by draping the leafy green cabbage tops over everything.
Cover the pot and let it simmer for five to eight minutes, just until the cabbage is tender and the leeks have melted into the broth. Serve immediately straight from the pot.
08
Once the meat and vegetables are eaten, bring the reduced, intensely flavorful remaining broth back to a boil and drop in the frozen udon noodles.
Cook for about two minutes until chewy and hot. Throwing away this hyper-concentrated elixir of chicken fat and vegetable sugars is culinary sacrilege.

Notes

Standard leeks are the ideal American supermarket substitute for traditional Japanese Tokyo negi.
Standard green onions (scallions) are too thin and will disintegrate in the long boil. Leeks mimic the thick, sweet layers of negi perfectly.
Burdock root provides the essential earthy backbone of traditional Japanese hot pots, but it can be omitted if you cannot find it at a local Asian grocer.
Do not substitute it with more carrots; simply proceed without it, as the broth relies heavily enough on the chicken and ginger to remain deeply authentic.

From Cook Japanese in America.

Chanko Nabe

Before you start

Quickly brew two cups of dashi by steeping a four-inch piece of dried kombu and a handful of katsuobushi in hot water for ten minutes, then strain.

Shave the scrubbed burdock root into thin strips as if you were sharpening a pencil.

Ingredients

Method

Combine the ground chicken and half-teaspoon of kosher salt in a medium bowl, then knead vigorously with your hands for at least sixty seconds.

Mix in the egg, scallions, grated ginger, potato starch, and tablespoon of soy sauce until thoroughly combined, then refrigerate.

Combine the chicken broth, dashi, half-cup of soy sauce, mirin, sake, sugar, and teaspoon of salt in a donabe or wide Dutch oven.

Add the daikon half-moons, carrot rounds, and drained burdock root to the simmering broth and cook for five to seven minutes.

Form the chilled tsukune mixture into golf-ball-sized rounds, dropping them gently into the simmering broth alongside the bite-sized chicken thighs.

Carefully transfer the pot to a portable tabletop burner set to medium-low.

Add the Napa cabbage cores, leeks, tofu cubes, aburaage, shiitake, and enoki mushrooms, finishing by draping the leafy green cabbage tops over everything.

Once the meat and vegetables are eaten, bring the reduced, intensely flavorful remaining broth back to a boil and drop in the frozen udon noodles.

Notes

Standard leeks are the ideal American supermarket substitute for traditional Japanese Tokyo negi.

Burdock root provides the essential earthy backbone of traditional Japanese hot pots, but it can be omitted if you cannot find it at a local Asian grocer.