Buri-shabu (ぶりしゃぶ, Toyama yellowtail hot pot)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Donabe (clay hot pot), or a wide heavy pot with a portable burner
• •Yanagiba, or the longest sharp knife you have
• •Fine-mesh strainer for the ponzu shōyu
• •Small tori-zara dipping plates and chirirenge spoons
• •Long chopsticks or serving chopsticks

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the ponzu

   Combine the soy sauce, citrus juice, rice vinegar, and the mirin that you've boiled for thirty seconds and cooled. Add the small piece of konbu and the katsuobushi, rest fifteen minutes, then strain without pressing. The bonito gives the sauce depth quickly; squeeze it and you force out harsh, oily flavors that make the dipping sauce louder than the fish. Stir grated daikon and sliced scallion into each small dipping dish just before serving.

   Yuzu is the winter fragrance to look for. Sudachi or kabosu also belongs at this table. Fresh lemon works only as a plain stand-in, sharper and less floral, so don't pretend it's the same thing.
2. 2

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the 12 to 15g konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the cold water in a donabe or wide pot and let it stand twenty minutes if you have the time. Bring it up slowly over medium-low heat, then pull the konbu when the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides, before it boils. That pale bloom on the kelp is not dirt. Slow heat draws out sweetness and clarity; boiling leaves bitterness and a slippery texture in the broth.

   If you're using a donabe, start low. Clay rewards patience, which is a polite way to say it can crack if bullied.
3. 3

   Slice the buri

   If the fish is not already sliced, chill it until firm, about ten minutes in the freezer, then cut across the grain into slices about 3 mm thick. Use a yanagiba if you own one, or the longest sharp knife you have, and draw the blade through in one clean pull. Keep the slices covered on a chilled white or green plate until the pot is ready. This fish will stay partly raw at the center, so use only fish sold for raw eating; if the fish isn't good enough for that, grill it or simmer it instead.

   The thickness is the first secret. Three millimeters lets the edge warm and the fat loosen while the center stays glossy.
4. 4

   Prepare the vegetables

   Cut the napa cabbage ribs a little thinner than the leafy tops, trim the mushrooms, slice the negi or scallions on the diagonal, and cut the tofu into neat blocks. Keep the mizuna separate for later. The sturdy pieces go in first because they sweeten the broth and need time; the greens go in late because they should stay bright, not collapse into apology.

5. 5

   Start the pot

   Add the sake and salt to the konbu dashi and bring it to a quiet simmer on the table burner. Add the napa ribs, mushrooms, tofu, and negi, then cook five to seven minutes, until the cabbage ribs turn slightly translucent. Keep the surface moving gently, not rolling. A hard boil clouds the broth, toughens the fish when it arrives, and makes the whole pot feel rushed.

6. 6

   Swish the buri

   Each diner takes one slice of buri with chopsticks and swishes it through the broth for about three seconds: one, two, three. The edges should turn pearl-white while the center remains pink and glossy. Lift it out at once and dip it in ponzu shōyu with grated daikon and scallion. Don't drop all the fish into the pot. That makes a stew, and this dish is not trying to be one.

   You're rendering the fat, not cooking the slice through. The warmth releases the richness, and the raw center keeps the fish clean.
7. 7

   Tend the broth

   Add the mizuna and napa leaves in small handfuls as you eat. Skim off any gray scum, but leave the clear golden fat that gathers on the surface; that fat is the buri giving back to the pot. If the broth reduces too far, add a little hot water and taste before adding salt. The dipping sauce carries most of the seasoning.

8. 8

   Finish with udon

   When the fish and vegetables are gone, add the cooked udon to the enriched broth and simmer just until hot. Taste the broth and season lightly with salt or a spoonful of ponzu shōyu. This closing course is shime, the finish of the pot, and it should taste of everything that came before it without being heavy.

Chef Tips

• •Sourcing first, always. Ask the fishmonger one plain question: what came in today that you'd eat raw? If they hesitate, choose another dish. No sauce in this recipe is meant to hide tired fish.
• •If Himi kan-buri is out of reach, look for mature winter buri with firm flesh, clean smell, and visible pale fat lines. Young hamachi is milder and softer; it will work in the method, but it won't give the same cold-season richness.
• •Keep the fish cold and bring out only what you'll eat in the next few minutes. Nabemono is unhurried, but raw fish handling is not a matter for poetry.
• •A donabe is the proper vessel because it holds gentle heat at the table. A wide heavy pot on a portable burner will do the work. Keep the heat modest either way.
• •Count the swish out loud the first few times. It feels silly for three seconds, then useful forever.

Advance Preparation

• •The konbu for the broth can soak in the cold water overnight in the refrigerator. Warm it gently from cold when you're ready to cook.
• •The ponzu shōyu can be made a day ahead and kept refrigerated. Strain out the konbu and katsuobushi before storing so the sauce stays clean.
• •Vegetables can be cut four hours ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Keep mizuna wrapped in a damp towel so it stays crisp.
• •Slice the buri the day you serve it, or ask the fishmonger to slice it for shabu-shabu. Keep it covered and cold until it reaches the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 880g)