Chicken and Vegetable Donabe

Hey Annie. Ponzu is a citrus sauce used for many things in Asian cooking. You can easily buy it in the Asian section of the grocery store or Asian specialty store. Or if you want to make your own, you can find recipes online. You can eat the donabe without it or in a pinch just mix a squeeze of lemon juice, pinch of sugar and a little soy sauce.

I love the look of this dish and that it appears quick, easy and delicious - I simply do not know what 'ponzu' is - and whether it is actually essential or can be left out. Help please??

A lot of misunderstanding out there in regards to ponzu. It’s not something you add to the nabemono as it cooks! The diners have small bowls containing the ponzu. Holding this small bowl in their left hand, they reach into the hotpot with their chopsticks, grab whatever looks good to them, dip it into the ponzu, and then bring it to their mouths. In addition to adding flavor, this also cools the food to a temperature your mouth can tolerate. Usually grated daikon is added to the ponzu.

Annie, you can mix 1 Tbs rice vinegar, 1.5 Tbs soy sauce, and 1/2 Tbs lemon juice. This is the simplest recipe. If you can get yuzu, use yuzu juice. Some people skip the vinegar and only use citrus juice. You can add a piece of kombu and shaved bonito flakes to the mix and let it sit in the fridge for 1 to 2 days for umami to slowly seep out. 1 to 2 weeks preferred. Good restaurants let the mixture sit for at least a month!

A delicious stew perfect for a cold January day! Ponzu is Japanese sauce that developed when they encountered citrus punch from the Dutch. It is available bottled in some stores in Asian section. A simple substitute mixes 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce , 4 Tbs orange juice , 2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice, I Tbsp Mirin or Sherry, 1 Tbsp water and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Traditional ponzu uses Kemp and bonita flakes which can be harder to find for some shoppers than bottled ponzu.

Prfect for a cold winter day in the PNW; the Japanese understand this kind of weather and know what to eat to warm the core. No donabe but the Le Creuset worked beautifully. Subbed baby bok choy as the nappa in the market were gigantic. Mushrooms were mixed oyster and shitake (with an X carved on top for presentation). The 3 sauce ingredients elevated the dish. Oh, and healthy too! Pair with a Japanese or Oregon sake. Pls, Chefs, more nabe recipes!

Just … sub chicken breast meat and cook it less time, and not too hot!! We’ve subbed shrimp, monkfish, scallops and seasoned tofu (not all at once …) into this recipe with great results. And I’ve made it using shredded rotisserie chicken in a pinch. It’s awesome comfort food.

I’m glad to see a nabe recipe here. However, I must object to the inclusion of garlic. With 20 years of experience in Japan, I have never had garlic in any nabe dish.

Appreciate having this recipe but I would always use skinless BONE-IN chicken for the added flavor. Getting out the Dutch Oven and heading to the market. Thank you.

Ponzu is a citrusy light soy sauce dipping sauce, and I think it nicely brightens earthy donabe dishes. Kikkoman Ponzu should be readily available in most regular grocery stores.

Garlic is never used in nabe dish, unlike Chinese hotpot. Also, it's traditional to throw in cooked udon noodles at the end so that everyone can enjoy the tasty broth as noodle soup by adding vinegar and/or soy sauce to taste.

The sodium in canned goods is sky high. Using low-sodium versions, then just adding salt to your own taste/health needs, typically ends up being a lot healthier (and to me, tastier). I do it all the time.

Oil is seldom (or never) used in donabe cooking of any kind (seafood and pork are also done in this manner) in my 50 or so years of experience in Japan. For one thing, it would quickly soil the clay pot. For another, The meats either have sufficient oil naturally or simply don’t require oil to simmer in broth/water. Sesame oil, in particular, is such a strong flavor that it would block the more subtle flavors present.

A mix of soy sauce, a citrus, mirin, and some seasonings. The NYT recipe is here: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/8231-ponzu?action=click&module=Global%20Search%20Recipe%20Card&pgType=search&rank=1. Another recipe I saw calls for orange juice.

Making my own Ponzu sauce was easy. Soup on the whole PERFECT. I may cut up the chicken next time. Definitely worth making the ponzu, adds great depth and complexity.