Chicken and Root-Vegetable Simmer (筑前煮, Chikuzenni)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy pot
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment with a small center hole
• •Fine-mesh strainer for the shiitake soaking liquid
• •Small saucepan for blanching the green vegetables

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the shiitake

   Put the dried shiitake in 2 cups warm water and weight them with a small plate so they stay submerged. Soak for 30 minutes, or until the caps are soft all the way through. Strain and save the soaking liquid, then trim off the hard stems and halve the caps. That soaking liquid is not dishwater. It is the backbone of this pot, earthy and deep, so keep the clear part and leave any grit behind.

2. 2

   Prepare the roots

   Scrub the burdock well and cut it into small rolling wedges, then soak briefly in water and drain. Peel the lotus root and cut it into 1/2-inch half-moons, then soak it in water for 5 minutes so the color stays clean. Cut the carrot into rolling wedges, or into plum blossoms if this is for New Year and you have the patience. The sizes should not all match. Burdock is firm and should be smaller, carrot can be larger, and lotus root wants enough thickness to keep its pleasant bite.

   Rolling cuts, rangiri, expose more surface to the broth and make irregular pieces that sit naturally in the bowl. The cut is part of the seasoning here.
3. 3

   Boil the konnyaku

   Tear the konnyaku into bite-size pieces with a spoon, or score both sides shallowly and cut it into knots or rectangles. Boil it for 2 minutes, then drain. This removes its raw alkaline smell and roughens the surface so it can take in seasoning. A knife gives tidy edges, but tearing gives the broth more places to enter.

4. 4

   Season the chicken

   Pat the chicken dry and toss it with 1 tablespoon sake. Leave it while you finish the vegetables. The sake is not perfume. It softens the chicken's aroma and helps the surface meet the hot oil cleanly, which matters in a dish where nothing is covered by sauce.

5. 5

   Saute the chicken

   Heat the neutral oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chicken skin-side down if there is skin attached, and saute until the surface turns opaque and lightly golden in places, 3 to 4 minutes. It does not need to cook through. You are setting the surface and building a little fragrance before the simmer begins.

6. 6

   Saute the vegetables

   Add the burdock, lotus root, carrot, konnyaku, bamboo shoots, taro, and shiitake. Turn them through the oil for 4 to 5 minutes, until the edges look lightly glossy and the burdock smells sweet and earthy. This first saute is what makes Chikuzenni Chikuzenni. It keeps the ingredients distinct, so the final pot tastes gathered, not boiled flat.

   If the pot is crowded, saute in two batches. Crowding traps moisture, and then the vegetables steam in their own impatience instead of taking on gloss.
7. 7

   Add the broth

   Add 1/2 cup strained shiitake soaking liquid, the dashi, and 3 tablespoons sake. Bring to a gentle boil, skim the foam, then lower the heat. The liquid should come partway up the ingredients, not drown them. Chikuzenni cooks in a concentrated broth and in the moisture released by the vegetables themselves.

8. 8

   Season in stages

   Add the sugar and mirin first, set a wooden drop-lid, otoshibuta, directly on the food, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Then add the soy sauce and continue simmering under the drop-lid for 20 to 25 minutes, turning the pot once or twice by shaking it rather than stirring hard. Sweetness enters better before salt tightens the surfaces, so the order is not fuss. It is simply how you help the roots drink.

   No otoshibuta? Cut a circle of parchment slightly smaller than the pot and pierce a small hole in the center. It keeps the seasoning moving over the food without breaking the pieces.
9. 9

   Reduce and rest

   Remove the drop-lid and simmer 5 to 8 minutes more, gently turning the pieces from the bottom to the top if needed, until the broth is reduced and glossy but not gone. Taste one burdock piece and one chicken piece. They should be seasoned through, not salty on the outside. Turn off the heat and let the pot rest at least 30 minutes, because simmered dishes finish learning their seasoning after the flame is out.

10. 10

    Finish and serve

    Blanch the snow peas or green beans in salted water until bright green, then cool and slice on the diagonal. Fold in the sesame oil only if you like that Kyushu-style fragrance, then serve the Chikuzenni warm or at room temperature with the green vegetables set on top. Do not bury them in the pot. Their color is the fresh note, and it should arrive clean.

Chef Tips

• •Choose firm, heavy roots. Burdock should smell clean and earthy, lotus root should be pale and crisp, and carrots should be sweet at their winter shun. If one ingredient looks tired, leave it out or replace it with another proper simmering vegetable. Don't ask sauce to do the work of freshness.
• •Use chicken thigh, not breast. Thigh stays tender through the simmer and gives the broth enough body for a main dish. Breast turns dry before the roots are fully seasoned.
• •The shiitake soaking liquid must be strained. Dried shiitake often leave fine grit at the bottom of the bowl, and one careless pour will teach everyone at the table about sand.
• •A wooden drop-lid, otoshibuta, is the right tool. A parchment circle is the sensible stand-in. Both keep the broth moving over the pieces so you don't have to stir them into collapse.
• •Make the pot less full than your ambition wants. Chikuzenni needs room for the ingredients to turn glossy and stay distinct. A crowded pot gives you a muddy stew, and we are not making that.

Advance Preparation

• •Chikuzenni is an excellent make-ahead dish. Cook it one day before serving, cool it in its broth, and refrigerate it covered. The seasoning deepens overnight.
• •Rewarm it gently over low heat, or bring it to room temperature before serving. A hard boil will roughen the chicken and break the taro edges.
• •The shiitake can be soaked overnight in the refrigerator. Cold soaking gives a clearer, rounder liquid and makes the cooking day calmer.
• •The finished dish keeps 3 days refrigerated. Store the green garnish separately and add it just before serving so its color stays bright.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 305g)