Mille Feuille Nabe Recipe

Picture this: it’s a chilly evening and there’s something magical steaming away in my kitchen. Inspired by Japanese comfort food at its finest, I’m diving into a cozy, savory delight with layers of tender Napa cabbage and succulent pork belly. Welcome to my culinary adventure of the Nabe Mille Feuille, where every bite is like a warm hug in a bowl. 🍲✨

Mille Feuille Nabe, a comforting Japanese hot pot, layers tender Napa cabbage and rich slices of pork belly, simmered in flavorful dashi stock. I adore how mushrooms and green onions add even more umami flavor to it.

With a whisper of soy sauce and mirin, it’s 100 percent delightful.

Ingredients

• Napa Cabbage: A leafy vegetable, rich in fiber and high in vitamins C and K, it’s low in calories and adds a delicate sweetness.
• Pork Belly: Provides rich umami flavor and protein, offering savory depth and deliciousness to the dish.
• Dashi Stock: A cornerstone of Japanese cuisine, bringing umami-rich flavor from kombu and bonito, enhancing the soup base.
• Mushrooms: Rich in vitamins and minerals, they add earthy notes and a lovely texture to the nabe.
• Soy Sauce: Offers salty, umami flavor, enhancing depth and complexity of the broth.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 medium Napa cabbage
• 400 grams thinly sliced pork belly
• 6 cups dashi stock
• 1 block firm tofu (optional)
• 200 grams mushrooms (e.g., shiitake, enoki, or shimeji)
• 2 stalks green onions
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 tablespoon sake
• Lemon wedges (for serving)
• Ponzu sauce (for dipping, optional)

How to Make this

1. Ready the Napa cabbage: rinse it well and dry it. Cut the cabbage into sections that are approximately the same width as the pork belly, and manageable enough to slice further after the pork has been added to the braising pot.

2. Build up the layers in the nabe by taking a slab of Napa cabbage and placing a slice of pork belly on top. Repeat this until you have about four to five layers. If size is an issue, just adjust the nabe itself.

3. Slice the layered Napa cabbage and pork stack into segments about 3 inches wide. Arrange these segments vertically, in a large pot or nabe pot, spiraling outward from the center.

4. To fill the void in the space between the layers of cabbage and pork, use tofu and cut it into cubes. Add shiitake or enoki mushrooms to complete the filling.

5. In another pot, prepare the broth by uniting the dashi stock, soy sauce, mirin, salt, and sake. Bring to a simmer.

6. Once the broth is ready, pour it gently over the layered cabbage and pork in the pot, making sure the broth reaches about three-quarters of the height of the ingredients.

7. Slice the green onions thinly on the bias and set aside for garnish.

8. Put a lid on the pot, turn the heat to medium, and let the contents of the pot simmer gently for about 15 to 20 minutes. At the end of that time, you should find that the cabbage has reached a tender state and that the pork has completed its cooking process.

9. When it is cooked, garnish it with the sliced green onions.

10. Serve the Nabe Mille Feuille directly from the pot at the table. Accompany with:
Lemon wedges
Ponzu sauce
For dipping, if you desire.

Equipment Needed

1. Cutting board
2. Knife
3. Large pot or nabe pot
4. Measuring cups and spoons
5. Medium pot
6. Stirring spoon
7. Ladle
8. Lid for the pot
9. Serving spoon or chopsticks for serving

FAQ

• Q: Can I use a different type of meat instead of pork belly?A: Yes, pork belly can be replaced by chicken or beef slices. Just be sure to slice the meat thinly for even cooking.
• Q: What is dashi stock, and can I substitute it?A: Dashi is a soup stock used in Japanese cooking. It is made from two main ingredients: dried bonito fish flakes and kombu, a type of edible kelp. If you must substitute, use chicken or vegetable stock. You won’t get the same umami flavor, but it will be better than using plain water.
• Q: Are mushrooms necessary, and which type is best?While mushrooms intensify the umami of the dish, feel free to leave them out if that suits your preferences. Shiitake, enoki, or shimeji are great mushrooms for flavor and texture.
• Q: How do I serve Mille Feuille Nabe?A: Serve directly from the pot to each person at the table. Allow them to help themselves. Add lemon wedges and ponzu sauce for flavor.
• Q: Is tofu necessary, and what type should I use?A: Adding tofu is not required; however, it adds a wonderful texture. Use sturdy tofu, as it is better at maintaining its form during cooking.
• Q: Can I make this dish vegetarian?A: Yes, omit the pork belly and use tofu and assorted vegetables. Replace dashi with a vegetable stock or kombu dashi.
• Q: How can I adjust the saltiness of the dish?A: Sample the broth as it cooks and correct the salt content to suit your taste. Incrementally add more soy sauce or salt.

Mille Feuille Nabe Recipe Substitutions and Variations

One medium Napa cabbage. Savoy cabbage, bok choy, or Napa cabbage can be used. Can be substituted with shungiku or any other delicate green; shungiku = edible chrysanthemum leaves.
400 grams of pork belly sliced paper-thin.

Can be replaced with paper-thin slices of beef or chicken.
Dashi stock, 6 cups: A dashi stock is a basic Japanese stock used to make soups and many other dishes. If you don’t have dashi, chicken or vegetable broth could work in a pinch.
Mushrooms, 200 grams: If preferred, use button mushrooms or oyster mushrooms.
1 tablespoon sake. Can be substituted with rice wine or dry sherry.

Pro Tips

1. Freeze the Pork for Easier Slicing If you’re slicing the pork belly yourself, partially freeze it for about 30 minutes beforehand. This will firm it up and make it easier to slice thinly, ensuring even cooking.

2. Enhance Flavor with Kombu Add a piece of kombu (dried kelp) to the dashi stock while simmering. This will imbue the broth with a deeper umami flavor, which complements the pork and cabbage beautifully.

3. Blanch the Cabbage Leaves To make the cabbage more pliable and enhance its sweetness, blanch the leaves briefly in boiling water before layering with the pork. This step can also help reduce cooking time.

4. Vary the Mushroom Types Use a mix of different mushrooms for varied textures and flavors. Shiitake, shimeji, and enoki mushrooms provide a delightful combination of earthiness and umami.

5. Customizable Heat Level For a bit of heat, you can add a few slices of fresh chili or a spoonful of chili oil to the broth or as a garnish. This can balance the richness of the pork and add depth to the overall flavor.