Edo Tuna and Leek Hot Pot (ねぎま鍋, Negima Nabe)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Donabe (Japanese clay pot), or a wide heavy pot
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Broiler, grill, or dry heavy pan for charring the negi
• •Individual tori-zara serving bowls
• •Chirirenge soup spoons

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the dashi

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in the cold water and warm it slowly over low heat until the water trembles and small bubbles climb the pot, about ten minutes. Pull the konbu before the water boils, because boiling draws out bitterness and a slick texture you don't want here. Add the katsuobushi all at once, take the pot off the heat, and let the flakes sink for two or three minutes. Strain through a cloth or fine strainer and let it drip. Don't squeeze, or the strong oily flavors cloud the clean stock.

   This pot is simple enough that instant dashi has nowhere to hide. Make the stock cleanly and the rest of the dish behaves.
2. 2

   Cut the tuna

   Pat the tuna dry and cut it into generous pieces, about 1 1/2 inches across. Keep it cold until it goes into the pot. The pieces should be large enough to warm through without drying out, because tuna tightens quickly once it meets heat.

3. 3

   Grill the negi

   Set the negi lengths under a broiler, over a grill, or in a dry heavy pan and cook until blistered in places and fragrant, turning once. You are not cooking them to softness yet. You are waking up their sweetness and giving the broth a roasted edge, the way we do it here when the pot has only a few ingredients.

4. 4

   Season the broth

   Pour the dashi into a donabe or wide pot and add the shōyu, mirin, sake, and sugar if using. Bring it to a gentle simmer and taste. It should be slightly more seasoned than a soup, because the tuna, tofu, and greens will soften it as they cook.

5. 5

   Simmer the base

   Add the grilled negi and tofu and simmer gently for five to seven minutes, until the negi is tender but still holds its shape. Keep the surface moving quietly. A hard boil muddies the broth and makes the tofu rough at the edges.

6. 6

   Add the tuna

   Slip the tuna pieces into the broth in a single layer and cook just until the outside turns pale and the center is still moist, two to four minutes depending on thickness. This is the dish's first secret: the tuna should season the broth with its fat, not surrender all its tenderness to the pot.

7. 7

   Finish and serve

   Add the mizuna or shungiku for the last thirty seconds, just until the greens relax and turn glossy. Scatter a few fine strips of yuzu peel if you have them, and serve from the donabe into individual tori-zara. Offer shichimi tōgarashi at the table, but use it lightly. The broth should taste of tuna fat, leek sweetness, and clear dashi, not of correction.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger for tuna you would be willing to eat rare, even though this is a hot pot. The fish won't be raw, but freshness still decides the flavor. If the counter can't answer plainly, buy a different fish for a different dish.
• •Japanese long leek, negi, is sweeter and sturdier than ordinary scallion. If you can't find it, use the white and pale green parts of very thick scallions or small leeks, but say honestly what changed: the pot will be gentler and less Edo in character.
• •Use a donabe if you have one. Its clay holds a steady gentle heat at the table. A heavy wide pot is a sensible stand-in, especially if you keep the simmer low and don't crowd the tuna.
• •Skim only if foam gathers at the edge. Don't fuss at the broth until it looks tired. Nabemono is shared food, not surgery with chopsticks.
• •Leftover broth is excellent with rice or udon, but strain it first. The tuna will continue to give fat and salt to the liquid as it sits.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Reheat it gently before seasoning.
• •The negi can be cut and grilled a few hours ahead, then held at room temperature. Add it to the pot only when you are ready to simmer.
• •Cut the tuna shortly before cooking and keep it cold. Once cut, it loses its clean face quickly, and this dish gives you no heavy sauce to hide that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 480g)