Description
Mille-Feuille Nabe is a Japanese hot pot dish where napa cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, and thinly sliced pork belly are layered in a circular arrangement and simmered in a light broth.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
My Dutch oven is 22 cm., but any size will work – just adjust the ingredient amount accordingly.
- 3/4 head of large napa cabbage, plus two-3 large leaves
- 1 1/2 lb pork belly, thinly sliced (I purchase mine at the Asian Market and it comes thinly sliced)
- 1 block firm tofu, cut into large cubes
- 5 oz. shimeji mushrooms (substitute for any mushroom)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon hondashi (if you are not doing a waterless hot pot broth, you can use regular dashi and insert about 3 cups)
Dipping Sauce:
- ~3 tablespoons ponzu (per person)
- Green onions and chili crisp for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Begin by layering your two large napa cabbage leaves at the bottom of the pot.
- Cut your napa cabbage in half, and then cut again into quarters. Do not cut off the core or stem yet.
- In each of the cabbage leaves, insert one layer of pork belly. Repeat for each cabbage leaf until you reach the top, ending with a cabbage leaf. Repeat with the other napa cabbage quarters.
- Cut the core/stem off of each napa cabbage and then proceed to cut the cabbage/pork belly slices into fourths.
- Beginning layering the cabbage/pork leaves (showing the alternating colors), starting from the outer section of the pot and going in. Using the thicker/harder cabbage leaves on the outside rim section enables more even cooking. Squeeze the cabbage and pork tight to leave room in the center.
- In the center, stack your tofu, with your shimeji mushrooms on top. Drizzle your soy sauce over the hot pot, along with the ginger and hondashi.
- Over low heat, begin cooking your Nabe with the lid on the Dutch oven. Keep it on low heat to ensure that the natural juices from the ingredients create a broth. This can take anywhere between 10-20 minutes depending on your Dutch oven and the thickness of your pork belly slices.
- Prepare your dipping sauces for each person in a small bowl. Enjoy your nabe with white rice or alone.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4