Today, we’re savoring the main dish of the first episode “Potatoes in Oden.” As the name suggests, oden is the star of Nobu’s menu this time! It’s a one-pot dish that is an iconic Japanese winter food recipe and features plenty of ingredients: eggs, daikon, potatoes, and more delights!

During the cold months, Japanese convenience stores sell oden as bowls of different sizes or as individual ingredients, making it a much-beloved snack or meal all throughout Japan. Now, let’s start cooking!

Often seen in many food anime, daikon radish has recently found its way into Western supermarkets - but how to cook with daikon remains somewhat elusive! We think you'll agree that when soaked in a hearty oden broth and then fried or grilled, this curious veggie turns into a delectable dish!

Yield
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients
・2 Oden daikon pieces (*1)
・2 Green onions
・1 tablespoon Salad oil
・10g Butter
・Sauce: 2 teaspoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cooking sake, 1 teaspoon mirin

Preparation
1) Chop the green onion finely.
2) Use a paper towel to soak up extra soup from your daikon pieces. Put them in an oiled, cold frying pan before turning up the heat.
3) Flip the daikon once they’re golden brown, put a lid on the pan and fry for another 5 minutes on low heat. Then arrange them on a plate.
4) Making the sauce: mix all ingredients for the sauce in the hot pan. Once little bubbles form, add the butter and mix well.
5) Pour the sauce over your daikon steak with a spoon. Top with green onions.
6) Itadakimasu!

*1 Chef Kijima uses daikon that has already been boiled in an oden soup. If you’re in Japan, you can easily buy the daikon readily made at a convenience store or buy oden soup and make it yourself. If you’re not in Japan, simply make oden soup yourself by using dashi soup stock and seasoning it with soy sauce, sake, and sugar. Bring it to a boil, then put the daikon in and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Important: the longer the daikon sits in the soup, the better it tastes! If you have time, turn off the heat and let the daikon swim in the soup for an hour or more.

At Isekai Izakaya Nobu, potatoes are a rather big topic in the first episode. That’s why Chef Kijima has come up with a special oden-style potato salad! Quickly made, this yummy side dish adds a fun, Japanese kick to your meal!

Yield
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients
・2 Oden potatoes (*2)
・1/4 Onion
・Fukujinzuke (as much as you like) (*3)
・1 tablespoon French dressing
・2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
・Coarsely-ground black pepper (a pinch)

Preparation
1) Thinly slice the onion vertically, wash with water, dry, and add French dressing. Let it marinate for 5 minutes.
2) Add hot potatoes to the onion and crush them with a fork. Let it cool for a bit.
3) Add mayonnaise and fukujinzuke. Mix well.
4) Itadakimasu!

*2 Chef Kijima uses oden-boiled potatoes. Buy or make them the same way as the daikon described above.
*3 Fukujinzuke are pickled vegetables, a popular Japanese condiment. If you cannot find them in the Asian supermarket of your choice, you can make them yourself. Cut vegetables of your choice (commonly used: daikon, cucumber, eggplant, Lotus root, and so on. Feel free to add “less exotic” veggies such as carrots, white turnip, and ginger.) Boil them in a sauce made of sugar, soy sauce, mirin, sake, and rice vinegar and then cool in the refrigerator.

With these quick and easy recipes, you can bring both the taste and atmosphere of Izakaya Nobu to your own kitchen. And don’t hesitate to enjoy Chef Kijima’s creative creations with a frosty beer!

©蝉川夏哉・宝島社/古都アイテーリア市参事会