Ingredients
– 1 Napa Cabbage (Chinese Cabbage)*
– 1 Carrot (Sliced)
– 300g Pork Belly Slices
– 100g Chinese Spinach Leaves
– 100g Shimeji Mushrooms
– 100g Enoki Mushrooms
– 5 Ginger Slices
– 1 litre Dashi Broth
Dipping Sauce:
– 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
– 2 tbsp Ponzu Sauce
– 1½ tbsp Mirin
– 1 tsp Ginger (Grated)
– 1 tsp Sesame Oil
– 1 tbsp Spring Onions (Chopped)
Method
- Cut the napa cabbage lengthwise into quarters, leaving its base intact.
- Rinse the napa cabbage and drain well before cutting its base off.
- Place 1 napa cabbage leaf on the chopping board, and lay 2 pork belly and thin carrot slices each with the Chinese spinach leaves.
- Place another napa cabbage leaf on top and repeat this process until there are roughly 5 to 6 layers.
- Cut the layered napa cabbage into 6 to 7cm sections. Line the bottom of a pot with ginger slices.
- Pack napa cabbage sections into the outer edges of the pot as you work your way towards the middle.
- Repeat steps 3 to 4 until the pot is almost full. Ensure the layered napa cabbage sections are tightly packed as they will become loose once cooked.
- Leave a space in the middle of the pot and place the shimeji and enoki mushrooms in it.
- Pour dashi broth into the pot until it almost fully covers the layered napa cabbage sections.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 10 mins or until the pork belly slices are cooked thoroughly.
Dipping Sauce:
1. Combine light soy sauce, ponzu sauce, mirin, freshly grated ginger and sesame oil in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Garnish with chopped spring onions.
Tips from the chef: Ensure that the broth you choose is on the saltier side as the vegetable will dilute the broth during the cooking process. Larger Chinese spinach leaves are better for layering; smaller leaves that are left over can be used to fill in the gaps between the layered sections. You can replace pork belly with beef or salmon, too!