Simmered Soybeans and Konnyaku (大豆とこんにゃくの煮物, Daizu to Konnyaku no Nimono)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy pot
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment
• •Small saucepan for blanching konnyaku

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the beans

   Rinse the soybeans and pick out any broken ones. Cover them with plenty of cold water, at least three inches above the beans, and soak 8 to 12 hours. They should swell and look smooth, not wrinkled. Soaking lets water reach the center before heat tightens the skins, which means the beans cook evenly instead of splitting outside and staying chalky within.

2. 2

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. Put it in 3 cups cold water and warm it slowly over low heat, about ten minutes. Pull the konbu out when the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot. Boil it and the dashi turns faintly bitter and slick, and you've traded clarity for nothing.

   You're steeping the konbu, not boiling it. The rule is only the short way to say protect the clean flavor.
3. 3

   Add the flakes

   Bring the konbu water to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and take the pot off the heat. Leave it alone for two or three minutes, until the flakes sink. Strain through a cloth or fine strainer and let it drip naturally. Don't squeeze, because squeezing pushes strong, oily flavors into the clear stock.

4. 4

   Cook the soybeans

   Drain the soaked soybeans and put them in a pot with fresh water to cover by two inches. Bring to a boil, skim the foam, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 60 to 75 minutes, adding hot water if the level drops. The beans are ready when one crushes easily between your fingers but still keeps its shape. Do not season them yet. Soy sauce at this stage makes the skins tighten before the centers are ready.

5. 5

   Tame the konnyaku

   Score both sides of the konnyaku shallowly in a crosshatch, then cut it into 1/2-inch dice. Boil the pieces for three minutes, drain, and return them to the dry pot over medium heat for two minutes, shaking until the surface looks dull and you hear a faint squeak. This removes the alkaline smell and roughens the surface so the broth can cling.

6. 6

   Cut the vegetables

   Cut the gobō, carrot, and renkon into 1/2-inch dice, close to the size of the konnyaku. Soak the gobō and renkon in fresh water for five minutes, then drain. Don't soak them longer. You want to tame the harsh edge and keep the color clean, not wash away the flavor.

7. 7

   Start the simmer

   Drain the cooked soybeans and put them in a wide pot with the konnyaku, gobō, carrot, and renkon. Add 2 1/2 cups dashi, the sake, sugar, and mirin. The liquid should come almost to the top of the ingredients, not drown them. Bring to a gentle simmer and set a wooden drop-lid, otoshibuta, directly on the surface. Simmer for 15 minutes so the slower sweetness enters first.

8. 8

   Add soy sauce

   Add the soy sauce and keep simmering gently under the drop-lid for 25 to 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the broth has reduced to a shallow glossy pool. Shake the pot once or twice instead of stirring. Stirring breaks the beans and chips the vegetables, while shaking moves the broth without bruising the dish.

   No otoshibuta? Cut a circle of parchment to fit inside the pot and make a small hole in the center. It keeps the pieces basted and the seasoning even.
9. 9

   Rest and serve

   Take the pot off the heat and let everything cool in the broth for at least 30 minutes. This is when the seasoning moves inward, especially into the soybeans. Serve warm or at room temperature, with only a little of the reduced broth spooned over. If you can wait until tomorrow, the dish will repay your rare and noble restraint.

Chef Tips

• •Buy dried soybeans from a shop with good turnover. Very old beans can simmer politely for hours and still keep a hard center. Fresh dried beans soften evenly and taste faintly sweet before seasoning touches them.
• •Use plain gray konnyaku if you can find it, the kind flecked with hijiki or other seaweed powder. Blanching is not ceremony. It clears the scent and lets the dashi and soy speak cleanly.
• •For a meatless table, make konbu-shiitake dashi. Soak the konbu with 3 dried shiitake in the water overnight, warm it gently, remove the konbu before the boil, and use the diced shiitake in the pot. This is honmono from the temple kitchen line, not a compromise.
• •Don't reach for instant dashi when this dish is meant to keep. Powder gives salt first and depth later, if at all. A clear dashi gives the beans something quiet to absorb.

Advance Preparation

• •Soak the soybeans the night before. If your kitchen is warm, soak them in the refrigerator so the water stays fresh.
• •The dashi can be made two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm it gently before using.
• •The finished nimono keeps four days refrigerated in its broth. It tastes best from the second day onward, served at room temperature or rewarmed gently.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 240g)