Mille-Feuille Nabe is without doubt one of the hottest sizzling pot recipes to prepare dinner at residence in Japan. “A thousand layers“ of napa cabbage leaves and pork stomach slices are fantastically packed and simmered in a warming dashi broth. It comes collectively shortly for a weeknight dinner or sizzling pot celebration that you’ll treasure throughout the cold-weather months.
Mille-Feuille Nabe (ミルフィーユ鍋, 重ね鍋) is a straightforward Japanese sizzling pot that’s made with napa cabbage and pork stomach slices cooked in a savory dashi broth. Why is the French phrase “mille-feuille” utilized in a Japanese dish? Properly, let me introduce this straightforward and scrumptious sizzling pot dish to you and clarify the story behind the identify.
What’s Mille-Feuille Nabe?
In French, ‘Mille-feuille’ means ‘a thousand leaves’ and sometimes refers back to the traditional French pastry consisting of three layers of skinny puff pastry with two layers of cream filling, topped with powdered sugar. This dessert is usually additionally known as ‘Napoleon.
So, ‘Mille-Feuille’ on this recipe refers back to the ‘thousand layers’ of cabbage leaves and pork stomach slices, and ‘Nabe’ means a sizzling pot dish in Japanese.
There are about three theories about how ‘Mille-Feuille Nabe’ was launched to Japan. The recipe first appeared in a cookbook again in 1991, and since then, it has grow to be one of the vital standard sizzling pot recipes loved at residence in Japan.
Mille-Feuille Nabe is visually interesting, and the very best half about this sizzling pot is that it requires just some components in comparison with Shabu Shabu or Sukiyaki, but it tastes equally scrumptious!
It’s additionally an incredible menu possibility for events throughout the chilly months. You possibly can put together every thing forward of time and prepare dinner the new pot proper after your friends arrive.
Find out how to Make Mille-Feuille Nabe
The Elements You’ll Want
You possibly can create the layers and soup base with any components you favor, however the fundamental and genuine Mille-Feuille Nabe at all times consists of napa cabbage and pork stomach slices.
Since pork stomach is the fattier a part of the meat, a easy dashi broth is an ideal match for this dish. The flavors from the meat, napa cabbage, and broth come collectively fantastically to create an incredible umami taste. It’s unimaginable how these easy components can mix to supply such a harmonious style!
The Cooking Steps
- Put together the soup broth and layer the pork stomach slices between the napa cabbage leaves.
- Reduce every napa cabbage wedge into 4 items, every about 2 to 2½ inches (5-6 cm) lengthy.
- Begin packing the components in a pot, working your manner towards the middle from the outer edges. Be sure that the pot is tightly packed, because the layers could loosen throughout cooking.
- Pour the broth into the pot with the napa cabbage and pork stomach. Prepare dinner over medium-high warmth for 8-10 minutes till the napa cabbage is tender and the pork is cooked by means of.
- Benefit from the Mille-Feuille Nabe by dipping the cooked meals in ponzu sauce.
Cooking Ideas
The necessary suggestions are all associated to the meeting of the pot.
- Pack the layers tightly! The important thing to creating this nabe is guaranteeing the layers are tightly packed within the pot. Napa cabbage releases water and shrinks because it cooks, inflicting the layers to loosen. Due to this fact, earlier than you begin cooking, be certain that the layers are tightly packed, stopping the components from transferring round.
- Begin by packing from the outer edges of the pot and work your manner towards the middle. I often place the thicker cabbage leaves close to the pot’s edge and the tender leaves within the middle. This association means that you can use a ‘backup plan’ in the event you run out of napa cabbage earlier than filling the pot.
- Use one hand to carry the layers within the pot and the opposite hand so as to add extra layers. Don’t fear if the layers grow to be a bit free; you possibly can modify them by bunching them up in opposition to one another as you proceed so as to add extra.
When Working out of Napa Cabbage
The objective is to fill the pot with layers all the best way to the middle. Nevertheless, in the event you’re making this dish for the primary time, estimating the quantity of napa cabbage you’ll want could be difficult.
For that purpose, I like to recommend having shimeji mushrooms or enoki mushrooms as a backup filler. In case you run out of napa cabbage and pork stomach layers, you should use these mushrooms to fill the empty house within the middle. Since they’ve a extra impartial style, they gained’t considerably have an effect on the dish’s flavors.
When you grow to be extra skilled with making this dish, you possibly can experiment with extra components, however let’s stick to the fundamentals for at present.
Ingredient Substitutions
JOC readers who don’t eat pork have tried this recipe with thinly sliced beef and so they beloved it. Only a fast reminder that beef tends to launch extra scum as you prepare dinner, so be able to skim off the scum with a fine-mesh sieve.
Vegetarian and vegan readers have additionally tried this recipe with thinly sliced greens with Vegan Dashi. I’ve seen the colourful vegetable Mille-Feuille Nabe footage they shared on social media and it was spectacular!
“Shime” – The Finale of the Scorching Pot
Towards the tip of the new pot, when many of the components have been consumed, you’re left with the umami-packed soup. Don’t discard it!
You possibly can benefit from the remaining soup with one serving of steamed rice or noodles. This last dish is named ‘shime’ (〆, しめ) in Japanese.
Mr. JOC likes including chuka soba (ramen noodles), however my children choose including udon noodles to the soup. I get pleasure from including rice to the soup to make Zosui (Japanese Rice Soup). Because the rice absorbs the broth, drizzle in overwhelmed egg, cowl, and prepare dinner for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and floor white pepper, and sprinkle with some chopped inexperienced onion. It’s easy but so scrumptious!
Even while you’re full, don’t miss the new pot’s finale; you possibly can get pleasure from a small portion on the finish.
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Mille-Feuille Nabe
Mille-Feuille Nabe is without doubt one of the hottest sizzling pot recipes to prepare dinner at residence in Japan. “A thousand layers“ of napa cabbage leaves and pork stomach slices are fantastically packed and simmered in a warming dashi broth. It comes collectively shortly for a weeknight dinner or sizzling pot celebration that you’ll treasure throughout the cold-weather months.
Elements
Forestall your display from going darkish
Directions
To Put together the Elements
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To make the soup broth, mix 5 cups dashi (Japanese soup inventory), 2 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt in a measuring cup or mixing bowl. Don’t scale back the salt because the napa cabbage will launch liquid throughout cooking and dilute the soup.
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Peel and thinly slice the ginger knob into 8-10 slices ginger and set it apart.
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Thinly lower 1 inexperienced onion/scallion. Put the inexperienced onion in a small serving bowl so as to add later to the dipping sauce.
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Reduce 1 head napa cabbage lengthwise into quarters. I like to chop simply the white backside half of the napa cabbage head with a pointy knife, then pull aside the leafy prime half with my fingers. By tearing the leaves naturally, you lose fewer leaves in comparison with slicing. DO NOT lower off the core from the 4 wedges but. The core retains the leaves connected on the root finish and makes layering the pork stomach a lot simpler.
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Rigorously wash the leaves with out detaching them from the core. Drain nicely. Don’t throw away any leaves that naturally come off whereas rinsing. We’ll use them in a while.
To Make the Layers
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Layer 1½ lb sliced pork stomach into the napa cabbage wedges by putting one pork stomach slice between every of the leaves. If the pork stomach is longer than the cabbage wedge, trim the pork with kitchen shears and layer it in different components of the cabbage. If in case you have additional pork stomach, put a further slice within the outer layers which have huge leaves.
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When you‘ve tucked within the pork stomach slices, fastidiously lower off the arduous cabbage cores with out disturbing the layers. Reduce every wedge into 4 items which might be every about 2 to 2½ inches (5–6 cm) lengthy, preserving the layers of cabbage and pork neatly stacked as you slice.
To Arrange the Desk
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At every place setting, put together a medium bowl and a small bowl for every individual. To prepare dinner on the desk, set it up a conveyable fuel range and place the pot on it.For the dipping sauce, add ponzu, the chopped inexperienced onion/scallion, and non-obligatory shichimi togarashi (Japanese seven spice) to the small particular person bowls.
To Prepare dinner and Serve
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Begin cooking, coated, on medium-high warmth. As soon as boiling, skim off the froth and fats on the floor utilizing a fine-mesh skimmer. Then, scale back the warmth to medium low and prepare dinner coated till the napa cabbage is tender and the pork stomach is cooked by means of, roughly 8–10 minutes. When the Mille-Feuille Nabe is cooked by means of, serve it sizzling. Dip within the ponzu sauce and revel in!
Notes
You should purchase pork stomach slices or blocks at Asian grocery shops (particularly Japanese, Korean, and Chinese language markets). Some American grocery shops with a superb meat part (the place butchers work behind the counter) carry pork stomach, however often, they maintain it within the freezer so it’s a must to ask for it. In case your pork stomach has pores and skin/rind, you’ll have to ask the butcher to take away it.
Diet
Diet Info
Mille-Feuille Nabe
Quantity per Serving
% Each day Worth*
* P.c Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss program.
Editor’s Be aware: This submit was initially revealed on January 6, 2016. It’s been republished with a brand new video, new photos, and up to date content material on November 10, 2023.
