Orcas Style Shabu Shabu

My first encounter with Japanese cuisine happened in summer 2004 when I, a Belarusian exchange student hungry for adventure, came to Orcas Island and unexpectedly fell in love with a man whose deep brown eyes could see straight through me.  During the first month of dating, R., trying to impress me, made an amazing sushi dinner with fresh local Dungeness crab and, of course, with a side of wasabi and pickled ginger. My shock from wasabi heat and spiciness of ginger was so severe that I thought I would break up with a man who put me through that torture right after dinner. I guess there is something about my liking to completely burn my palate in the name of love. Well, luckily we didn’t break up…  Today, Japanese fare is one of my favorite cuisines. I never get tired of exploring new dishes and new ways to prepare them. One unique way to prepare a hearty, yet incredibly light, Japanese meal is to do it nabemono style. 

Nabemono is a quick-cooked Japanese stew that originates 

in Japan’s rural farming regions. It is a communal dish that engages everyone at the table. 

Usually, nabemono is a winter meal that is prepared with chicken, meat, seafood, and/or 

vegetables in a pot filled with boiling water and infused with kelp.  One of the nabemono 

varieties is sukiyaki—quick-cooked stew with thinly sliced beef and vegetables. 

Another version is shabu-shabu—a hot pot dish with thinly sliced beef in a watery broth. 

It owns its name to a swishing action of quickly dunking vegetables and thinly sliced beef into a boiling broth and stirring the stew from side to side before taking the beef and the vegetables out. 

My husband and I have a favorite Japanese restaurant in Seattle that serves shabu-shabu with delicious Wagyu, or Kobe, beef. Bush Garden used to be one of R.’s favorites spots when he was a part of Seattle grunge scene in the early nineties.  Founded in 1953, the restaurant stayed true to the rustic simplicity of Japanese dining décor and exceptional quality of food. Chef Masa who has worked there for as long as my husband can remember, always makes our dining experience there a special event. In addition to great sushi, Bush Garden serves shabu shabu with beef, udon noodles, and vegetables. I guess it remains a shabu shabu dish due to the presence of watery broth. Longing for our favorite dish, we decided to re-create it using ingredients available on the island. That is why I call it Orcas Style Shabu Shabu. For the traditional versions of this healthy and simple meal, visit Tea’s blog or Beef Shabu-Shabu Recipe.

Our family version of shabu-shabu emulates the flavors of our favorite Bush Garden meal. Since we cannot usually find enoki (long white stringy mushrooms used in Japanese cooking), kombu (kelp), or Kobe beef in our grocery stores on the island, we try to substitute these traditionally used ingredients with more available alternatives. The recipe is very simple to put together. Just remember to prepare the beef ahead of time.

Orcas Style Shabu Shabu (Japanese Quick-Cooked Stew)

Makes about 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lb thinly sliced tri-tip steak

• ½ lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
• ½ head of Savoy or Napa cabbage, sliced
• 1 large onion, sliced
• 1 block firm tofu, cut into cubes
• 1 cup scallions or chives, cut on the bias
• ½ lb bok choy, roughly chopped
• 1 package Japanese Udon noodles
• 1 ½ cup bean sprouts, rinsed

• 1 tablespoon dashi (Japanese fish stock base, comes in dried flakes)
• 1-2 tablespoons dried bonito flakes such as Seto Fumi Furikake, or just thinly sliced dried sea weed (We use these two ingredients to substitute for the traditionally used kelp, or kombu)

• 2-3 cups cooked white or brown rice, optional
• Ponzu Sauce (citrus-flavored soy sauce, home-made or store bought) and/or Hoisin Sauce.

*We like to serve it with a modified version of ponzu that has ginger and garlic. We also like to add a few drop of Hoisin to counteract the tanginess of ponzu.

Quick Ponzu Sauce with Ginger and Garlic

Adapted from About. Com: Japanese Food

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, or citrus juice
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup or more dashi
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons garlic, grated

Sauce Preparation: Mix all the ingredients together and adjust the amount of dashi to your liking.

To Make Shabu Shabu:

1. In order to prepare the meat, slice it with an extremely sharp knife while the meat is still partially frozen. Place on a platter and keep chilled until ready to use. 
2. Fill a deep large sauce pan or Dutch oven two-thirds full with water. Add dashi and dried bonito flakes to substitute for a briny flavor of kombu. Let simmer for at least 30 minutes.
3. Arrange the vegetables, noodles, and mushrooms on a large platter or a cookie sheet.
4. Set the pan or the Dutch oven, ingredients, and serving bowls with ponzu dipping sauce and Hoisin on the table.
5. Bring the water to a boil.
6. Put about ¼ prepared vegetables in a pot and let cook for about 5 minutes.
7. Add a few slices of beef in the boiling soup and swish it gently back and forth in the boiling broth until it changes color, about 1 minute.
8. Remove a small portion of meat, vegetables, and noodles form the pot. Eat the vegetables and meat, dipping in the sauce. Alternatively, you can add some steamed rice and ladle the broth into a bowl with meat and vegetables. 
9. Skim off any foam or impurities (aku) that rise to the surface. Repeat cooking and eating. Add other ingredients in the boiling soup and simmer for a few minutes.
10. Eat them dipping in the sauce.