Salmon Dish

Shake to daikon no gyunyu nabe

Salmon and long white radish milk dish

Hot dishes known as nabe (literally pot) are a favorite during the Japanese winter season. This recipe is a version of nabe which enjoys favor in West Japan.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Salmon: 4 slices (1 slice is about 2 1/2 inches wide by about 4 inches long)

Bacon: 4 strips

Daikon (long white radish): about 1/4 of a 2-foot long radish (6 inches or so)

Mushrooms: 8 mushrooms

Irish potatoes: 2 small size or 1 large sized

Round onion (Spanish onion): 1 onion

Frozen green peas: 1 cup (thawed)

Water: 2 cups

Bouillion cubes: 3 cubes

Milk: 2 2/3 to 3 cups

Cream: 4 tablespoons

Salt: for seasoning to taste

Pepper: for seasoning to taste

Sake (Japanese rice wine): 2 tablespoons

Butter: a pat or two (for lightly sauteing vegetables)

Procedure

1. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.

2. Cut each salmon slice into 3 pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle the sake over it to allow it to soak in.

3. Cut the daikon into bite-sized chunks of about an inch thickness.

4. Cut off the mushroom stalks and cut the mushroom heads into halves. Discard the stalks.

5. Peel the potatoes and cut them into bite-sized chunks of about an inch thickness

6. After washing and peeling the onion, cut the onion into wedges

7. Heat a 2 1/2 quart dish (the Japanese usually use an earthenware dish) on a stove, add butter,bacon pieces and onions.

8. Quickly add the salmon pieces, daikon, mushrooms, and potatoes and stir for 3 to 4 minutes

9. Add the water and bouillion cubes to the dish, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to 'low'. Simmer until potatoes and daikon become soft.

10.Add the milk, cream, and green peas to the pot and turn up heat to bring to boiling. After coming to a boil, use a spoon to float off, remove, and discard the top layer of oil which rises to the surface. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes.

As in all of the recipes presented on these pages, experimentation to adjust this to individual tastes is necessary. In this recipe some people would add salt and/or a dash of black pepper to give it more taste.