Japanese cooking intrigues me in both its simplicity and its sophistication. I like to explore the use of typical Japanese ingredients creating my own interpretations. I love mushrooms with a passion and the Japanese market I shop at has no shortage of delicious and varied types. This recipe is my attempt at putting togther a typical Japanese style hot pot or stew using these wonderful mushrooms I love so much.

This dish could certainly be changed by adding other vegetables or fish. Some possible suggestions for this would be burdock (gobo), carrots, other types of mushrooms, turnips, daikon, bamboo shoot and many more. Be creative and feel free to try squid, clams, or any other seafood you might like. Chicken broth would also make a great substitute for the dashi. Fresh sliced ginger would be a great addition too.

Mushroom and Salmon Hot Pot

• 3 tbsp. shiro (white) miso paste
• 3 tbsp. instant dashi (bonito broth)
• 2 lotus root sections (renkon)
• 1/3 cup mirin (cooking sake)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 quarts water
• 4 oz. eringi mushrooms
• 4 oz. honshimeji mushrooms (beech mushrooms)
• 4 oz. maitake mushrooms (hen of the woods)
• 4 oz. enoki mushrooms
• 6-8 scallions
• 14 oz. package of extra firm tofu
• 12 oz. salmon fillets with skin
• 12-14 umeboshi (pickled Japanese plums)

Slice the eringi mushrooms lengthwise into about 6 or 8 spears each. Cut the base off the honshimeji, maitake and enoki mushroom bunches. Gently tease apart each of the mushroom bunches into individual mushrooms or small groups. Cut the scallions into 1 inch pieces. Cut the salmon into pieces about 2 to 3 oz. each. Peel and slice the lotus root.

Put the water, mirin, soy sauce, miso paste, dashi and lotus root in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook the lotus root in the broth for abuot 5-10 minutes until it begins to become tender. Add the eringi mushrooms, tofu, and umeboshi, cook for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining mushrooms, scallions, and salmon, cook until the salmon is done (about 5 more minutes).

Page Last modified: April 23 2006 18:37:40.