Monkfish Hot Pot (Anko Nabe)

1. Gather all the ingredients.
2. Make kombu dashi (soup stock) by soaking 1 piece kombu (dried kelp) into 4 cups water. I used kombu dashi this time, but I have made this hot pot with Awase Dashi (kombu + katsuobushi or dried bonito flakes) and they both taste wonderful.

To Prepare the Ingredients

1. Cut 1 lb monkfish (anko) into larger bite-size pieces about 1½–2 inches each.
2. Cut ¼ lb steamed monk fish liver (ankimo) into ½-inch rounds. If you have raw liver, you will need to steam it for 10 to 20 minutes first.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, add the monkfish to blanch for 15 seconds.
4. Remove the fish from the pot and immediately transfer into a bowl of iced water. This will remove the fishy smell and help firm up the flesh of the fish. Once chilled, remove from the iced water and set aside.
5. Cut 1 Tokyo negi (naga negi; long green onion) diagonally (if you use leek, rinse well to get rid of the dirt between the layers).
6. Cut 8 leaves napa cabbage into bite-size pieces.
7. Cut 1 bunch shungiku (chrysanthemum greens) into 2-inch pieces. Cut 14 oz medium-firm tofu (momen dofu) into large cubes.
8. Discard the bottom part of 7 oz enoki mushrooms and rinse quickly.
9. Discard the stem of 3 shiitake mushrooms and add the decorative flower cut on the caps if you wish (see how to cut shiitake hanagiri). Cut 1 inch carrot into rounds and optionally cut into a flower shape (hanagiri).

To Cook the Anko Nabe

1. Set a donabe (Japanese earthenware hot pot) over a portable stove at the table. You can also cook in a large pot on your stovetop.
2. Add the monkfish liver to the donabe and cook on low heat. As soon as the liver starts releasing oil, use a wooden spatula/ spoon to smash it into a paste or crumble it to resemble the texture of ground meat. It may burn a little bit, but that‘s okay as long as it’s very mildly charred. This adds more flavor.
3. Once the liver becomes pasty, add 5 Tbsp miso and combine well. Each miso brand/type has different saltiness and you must taste it to decide if you need to add more (you will need at least 5 Tbsp).
4. Gradually add the kombu dashi while mixing the miso mixture to dissolve.
5. Add 4 Tbsp mirin, 2 Tbsp sake, and 4 Tbsp soy sauce. Mix well.
6. Add the negi (or leek/green onion), bottom tough parts of the napa cabbage, shungiku, 1 package shirataki noodles, enoki mushrooms, and monkfish.
7. Let cook a little longer. Then, add in the tofu cubes and shiitake mushrooms.
8. Once boiling, add leafy parts of napa cabbage and shungiku. Cover and continue to cook for another 7–10 minutes. Skim off the fat and scum from the surface using a fine-mesh sieve.

To Serve

1. Enjoy the hot pot and add more ingredients as you eat. When the broth is reduced, you may need to add more water (or dashi if you have extra).