Sun-Dried Mushroom & Tofu Hot Pot
Serves 4 as part of a multicourse meal
Adapted from “Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking” (Ten Speed Press, 2015), by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton. The key to developing flavor in this recipe is sun-drying the mushrooms for several hours to a full day before cooking. Use at least two kinds of mushrooms; shiitake or maitake are good alternatives to the ones listed below. You’ll need a 1.5-quart or larger classic-style donabe. 7 ounces enoki mushrooms 8 ounces king trumpet (eryngii) mushrooms 3 to 5 ounces shimeji mushrooms 3 cups water 1 (3-by-6-inch) piece kombu ¼ cup sake 2 tablespoons mirin 2 tablespoons light-colored soy sauce (usukuchi shoyu) 1 (14-ounce) package soft tofu, cut into 8 pieces 5 ounces mizuna (including stems), bottom ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 teaspoon thinly shredded yuzu rind or Meyer lemon rind Shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven-spice blend), for serving
Instructions: To sun-dry the mushrooms, trim the enoki and pull them apart. Trim the king trumpet mushrooms and cut them into ¼-inch slices. Leave the shimeji mushrooms whole.
Spread the mushrooms in baskets or on trays in an even layer. Leave the baskets in the sun outside, if possible, until the mushrooms have shrunk slightly and their surface is dry, 3 to 4 hours (on a hot summer day) to a full day (on a mild winter day) during the daytime. If needed you can dry the mushrooms in a sunny space inside. Turn the mushrooms over a couple of times during drying. Rinse the mushrooms gently and quickly, and pat dry. Trim the shimeji mushrooms and pull apart.
Combine the water and kombu in the donabe and let the kombu soak for 30 minutes. Add the sake, mirin, soy sauce and all the mushrooms; make sure they’re mostly submerged. Cover and set over medium heat. Just before the broth comes to a simmer, remove the kombu.
Add the tofu and cover again. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the tofu is just heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the mizuna and sprinkle with the yuzu rind. Let the mizuna wilt (about 1 minute or so), and then turn off the heat. Serve in at the table and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi.