Mizutaki

Directions

For the Chicken Dashi:

1. To make the chicken dashi, place the chicken bones and drumettes in a pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then pour the bones and drumettes into a colander and rinse with cold water to remove any of the scum that might still be on the bones. Remove the drumettes and set aside in the refrigerator for later (blanching the bones yields a clearer dashi in the end). Wash out the same pot and add the chicken bones, konbu dashi and shiitake. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium to high heat and cook for 45 minutes, then strain into a large bowl or container. If you are using the Chicken Dashi right away, you can leave it at room temperature to cool down. If using it later, let it chill down, then store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

For the Tsukune:

1. In a medium bowl, add the ground chicken, onion, potato starch, sake, soy sauce, ginger, black pepper, zest, and egg. Use your hands to mix until well combined. Keep mixing until it becomes tacky; at this point, the developed proteins are helping to bind the mixture. Set aside in the refrigerator to use later.

For the Chicken Thighs:

1. Cut the thighs into 2-inch chunks and place them into a bowl with the sake. Toss to combine. Set aside and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Organize the thigh meat and the blanched drumettes in a single layer on a serving platter for later when you bring the finished dish to the table. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the Vegetable, Tofu and Noodles:

1. Arrange all of the vegetables on a large platter, ensuring they are displayed so that each one is visible. Start by placing the cabbage on the back of the platter, then place the washed bunch of mizuna next to the cabbage, making sure not to cover the cabbage.
2. For the shiitake mushrooms, any that are larger than 2 inches in diameter or seem too big, cut in half to make them more bite-sized. If the shiitake mushrooms are smaller, around 1 inch in diameter, you can leave them whole. Arrange the shiitake in front of the cabbage. Arrange the shimeji mushrooms next to the shiitake.
3. The way you cut the onions will depend on whether you're using Japanese negi or scallions. Negi is often referred to as a Japanese leek, just thinner. Cut on a 45-degree angle in approximately 2-inch pieces. If using scallions, cut them into thirds on an angle. Arrange the negi or scallions in a pile in front of the shiitake.
4. Arrange the cut tofu in front of the shimeji mushrooms. By this point, your platter should be getting very full, but will still have just enough room for the shiratake noodles.
5. Now, you have both the meat and vegetable platters ready for the table.

For the Broth:

1. Combine the Chicken Dashi with the Dashi of Konbu and Katsuobushi and add it to the donabe, filling approximately two-thirds full. There should be extra broth remaining, to add if needed throughout the cooking process, just a little at a time. Turn the heat to medium-high and add the sake, mirin, soy sauce, and white tamari. The broth needs only to be lightly seasoned, because as you dip the meat and vegetables into the ponzu, the flavor will intensify.

How To Eat:

1. Each person gets a small to medium bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of ponzu into each bowl. Have yuzu kosho on the side for guests who want to add a salty, citrusy spice to the dish. On a tabletop burner in the center of your table, bring the broth to a simmer and add the chicken drumettes. Cook for a few minutes, then serve each guest a couple pieces. Make sure to dip them into the ponzu sauce to season. Next, add enough negi, shiitake, and cabbage to the broth so that each person gets one of each vegetable. Let simmer for a minute or two until cooked through, then serve and have people dip the vegetables into the ponzu sauce before eating. Next, form the tsukune into small 1-inch balls, adding 2 per person.
2. To form the tsukune, you can dip your hands into cold water and then form the meatballs, or you can use two spoons. If using spoons, dip them in water to prevent the tsukune mixture from sticking.
3. While the tsukune are cooking, add some more vegetables plus the tofu. Simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the tsukune are cooked through. Serve each guest, then repeat, but this time use the thigh meat plus vegetables, tofu, and noodles. Continue to do this until the meat, vegetables, tofu, and noodles are all gone. At this point, you should have a very flavorful broth perfect for making the shime.

For the Shime (optional):

1. For the shime, use a rice-to-broth ratio of 1:3. Add the rice to the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mixture starts to thicken. In a bowl, beat 1 egg per person and add the chives. Now turn off the tabletop burner, add the egg mixture on top of the rice, and cover for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and stir the egg and rice until combined. Serve in small bowls and sprinkle with shichimi togarashi for some heat, if desired.