Tsumire Oden (つみれおでん, sardine fish ball stew)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy pot or donabe clay pot
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth
• •Sharp knife or food processor
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a circle of parchment
• •Two spoons for shaping the tsumire

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 bring it up slowly over low heat. Pull the konbu just before the water boils, when small bubbles climb the pot. Boil the kelp and the stock turns faintly bitter, which is poor payment for impatience. Add the katsuobushi, take the pot off the heat, and let the flakes sink for two or three minutes. Strain through cloth and don't squeeze, because squeezing pushes harsh, oily flavors into the clear stock.

   Dashi is the base of the oden, not background decoration. Protect its clarity now and the whole pot tastes cleaner later.
2. 2

   Prepare the daikon

   Put the daikon rounds in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for 20 minutes until a skewer enters with slight resistance. This first cooking removes the raw edge and lets the daikon drink the oden broth later instead of clouding it at the start.

3. 3

   Clean the sardines

   Sprinkle the butterflied sardines with the salt and leave them for 5 minutes, then rinse quickly under cold water and pat very dry. Wash it twice, wash it thrice, if the fish asks for it, but dry it once with care. The salt firms the flesh and draws out any strong surface smell, while drying keeps the paste from turning loose.

4. 4

   Mince the tsumire

   Scrape or chop the sardine flesh finely with a knife, leaving it a little coarse. Mix in the ginger, scallion, miso, potato starch, sake, and soy sauce until the paste just holds together. Don't beat it smooth. A little roughness gives the tsumire tenderness and keeps the sardine tasting like sardine, not a rubber ball with a title.

5. 5

   Season the oden

   Pour the dashi into a wide pot and add the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and salt. Taste it before anything goes in. It should be savory and clear, slightly stronger than a soup you would drink alone, because the daikon, eggs, konnyaku, and fish cakes will soften it as they simmer.

6. 6

   Simmer the base

   Add the daikon, eggs, konnyaku, and fish cakes. Bring the pot to a quiet simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 30 minutes. Keep the surface barely moving. Oden is a steeping pot as much as a simmering one, and hard boiling roughens the broth and toughens what should stay gentle.

7. 7

   Drop the tsumire

   Use two wet spoons to scoop rough walnut-sized balls of sardine paste into the simmering broth. Don't press them smooth. Let them cook 10 to 12 minutes, turning once if needed, until they are firm enough to hold together but still tender inside. If the broth boils hard, lower the heat at once; fish protein tightens quickly.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat and let the oden rest for at least 20 minutes, or cool and reheat it gently. This rest is when the seasoning settles into the daikon and eggs and the tsumire gives its flavor back to the broth. Serve in deep bowls with a little karashi on the side, not stirred into the pot.

Chef Tips

• •Ask the fishmonger what came in today that still smells clean and sweet, not loudly fishy. Sardines are honest fish. Fresh ones give you depth; tired ones give you a problem no seasoning should be asked to solve.
• •Use a sharp knife to mince the sardines if you can. A food processor works as a stand-in, but pulse briefly and stop while the paste still has texture. Overworking makes the tsumire bouncy in the wrong way.
• •A wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta) is useful if your pot is shallow, because it keeps the oden pieces under the broth without stirring. A circle of parchment with a small hole in the center does the same sensible work.
• •Oden improves after resting. Make it in the afternoon for the evening, or cook it a day ahead and reheat it gently. The broth will be darker, deeper, and calmer.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made up to two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Warm it gently before seasoning the oden.
• •Daikon, eggs, konnyaku, and fish cakes can simmer in the broth a day ahead. Add the tsumire when reheating so the fish balls stay tender.
• •The sardine paste can be mixed up to 4 hours ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Shape it only when it goes into the broth.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 620g)