Oden
My dad may not have made his oden from scratch, but it is the best version I know and takes a fraction of the time. He cooks by feeling and doesn’t measure things out, but tastes as he goes and adjusts as needed. This recipe is the best approximation of what I’ve gleaned watching him cook oden over the years.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons Hondashi
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sake
- 2 tablespoons mirin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 inches daikon radish, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds
- 2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds
- 12 Japanese taro, peeled
- 12 shiitake mushrooms
- 1 pack firm tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 pack konnyaku, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 3 pieces chikuwa, cut in half
- 6 inches lotus root, peeled, halved lengthwise and cut into ⅛-inch half-moons
- 1 package Gobo-Ten (fish cake with spicy burdock)
- 1 package Mochi-Kinchaku (fried tofu stuffed with rice cakes)
- 1 package Hanpen (white, square fish cakes), quartered
- 1 package Satsuma-age (fried fish cake)
- 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
Instructions
- Peel the skin from the chicken thighs, making an effort to keep the skin intact. Cut the skin into ½-inch wide strips and thread onto 6-inch skewers, leaving minimal space between the folds. Cut the meat from the bones into bite-size pieces. Skewer the thigh meat, allowing for 3–4 pieces per 6-inch skewer. Reserve the bones.
- In a large, at least 6-quart stock pot, add 3 quarts of water and the thigh bones. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the bones and add the Hondashi, soy sauce, mirin, sake and salt. Add the daikon and skewered chicken skin. Simmer for 15 minutes on low heat.
- Add the skewered chicken, carrots, taro, shiitake mushrooms, tofu and konnyaku.
- Simmer for 5 minutes before adding the chikuwa, satsuma-age, gobo ten, lotus root and mochi-kinchaku and simmer for 5 more minutes. You should be able to push a knife into the daikon with little resistance when done.
- Add the boiled eggs and turn off the heat. Place a lid on the pot and let sit for 20 minutes. Taste and add more salt, sake or Hondashi as needed.
- Serve with karashi (Japanese hot mustard), and any sake of your liking. This dish will be all the more delicious on day two or three when reheated.
Notes
Oden is what you make it—add your choice of tofu, mushrooms, sausages, eggs and veggies. Like many soups and stews, oden only improves the following day.
Image by Troy Osaki