Kinoko Nabe Recipe

Rinse and Cook Rice

Rinse the koshihikari rice under cold water until the water runs almost clear (about 3–4 rinses). Drain and combine rice with 540 ml water in a rice cooker or heavy-bottom pot. Let rest 30 minutes if time allows, then cook per rice cooker instructions or bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover, and simmer 12–15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let steam 10 minutes before fluffing. Keep warm until serving.

Optional Finish

If desired, toss cooked rice with 1 tsp rice vinegar for a subtle brightness. Cover and keep warm.

Prepare Dashi Base

In a medium pot, combine 1000 ml water and 10 g kombu. Soak kombu in cold water for 20–30 minutes (or skip soak and heat immediately). Slowly bring to just below a simmer over medium heat. Remove kombu right before boiling to avoid bitterness.

Finish Broth

Once kombu is removed and liquid is just simmering, add 15 g bonito flakes. Turn off heat and let steep 2–3 minutes, then strain the liquid into a clean pot or bowl to remove flakes. Return strained dashi to the pot, add 200 ml tentsuyu (concentrated), 1 tbs light soy sauce, 1 tbs mirin and 1 tsp salt. Taste and adjust: tentsuyu is salty and flavorful so adjust salt or soy to balance. Keep broth hot but not rapidly boiling.

Prepare Vegetables

Clean mushrooms by brushing or quickly wiping with a damp cloth. Trim woody ends and separate into bite-size pieces (slice shiitake caps, tear maitake, separate shimeji clusters, slice eryngii). Cut napa cabbage into 4 cm pieces, slice leek on a bias, trim mizuna/spinach and julienne carrot thinly.

Simmer Vegetables

Bring the prepared tentsuyu-dashi to a gentle simmer. Add firmer vegetables first: carrot and napa cabbage. Simmer 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and leek and simmer another 2–3 minutes until mushrooms are tender but still have structure. Add mizuna/spinach last and wilt briefly (30–60 seconds). Keep broth at a gentle simmer — avoid vigorous boiling which will overcook delicate mushrooms.

Prepare Gyutoro-8

Arrange thin slices of gyutoro-8 and keep chilled until ready to cook. For serving in individual hot bowls, portion 75 g beef per person (300 g total for 4 servings).

Cook Beef and Serve with Egg Yolk

When the vegetables and mushrooms are ready, bring the broth just to a gentle rolling simmer. Using chopsticks or tongs, briefly dip each slice of gyutoro-8 into the hot broth for 8–12 seconds until the fat begins to render and the exterior is lightly cooked but still tender (adjust time to desired doneness). Arrange cooked beef into serving bowls atop some rice (or place rice in separate bowls). Place a small nest of mushrooms/vegetables and ladle hot tentsuyu broth over them. Carefully separate egg yolks from whites and place one yolk in a small ramekin for each diner. Each diner mixes the egg yolk into the hot dipping broth or dips the beef through the yolk before eating — the yolk adds richness and binds small morsels of rice and beef.

Alternative: Raw Egg Finishing

If serving family-style in a communal nabe pot, you may crack and place egg yolks into small individual dipping bowls; diners take cooked beef and vegetables from the pot and dip into their yolk then into the tentsuyu broth.

Garnish and Seasoning

Scatter thinly sliced scallion over each bowl just before serving. Offer shichimi togarashi and a few drops of sesame oil at the table for diners to season to taste. If you used separate rice bowls, spoon broth, mushrooms and beef over rice or allow diners to combine themselves.

Serve immediately while broth is hot and beef is tender. Ensure each component — rice, broth, mushrooms, beef, and egg yolk — is available so diners can assemble bites to taste.