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Mille Feuille Nabe

For the savory and comforting sensation of a hot pot meal, Mille Feuille Nabe is definitely worth trying. Fill your belly with warm and delicious layers of cabbage, protein, mushrooms, and broth while bonding over a communal pot!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Kombu Dashi Steep Time (optional) 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings: 2
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Mille Feuille Nabe
  • 1 lb shabu pork or beef or thinly sliced protein of choice. See Note 1.
  • 1 lb napa cabbage
  • 200 g mushrooms enoki, beech, shiitake, etc.
  • homemade nabe broth or store-bought tsuyu
Homemade Nabe Broth (See Note 2.)
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup mirin
  • ¼ cup sake
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 4 cups dashi recipes included for either katsuo dashi or kombu dashi; more as needed for diluting
Kombu Dashi (Kelp)
  • 30 g kombu
  • 4 cups water
Katsuo Dashi (Bonito)
  • 2 tsp hondashi
  • 4 cups water
Dipping Sauces
  • soy sauce
  • sesame sauce
  • ponzu
  • shichimi togarashi Japanese chili pepper

Equipment

  • Our Place Mini Pot
  • Our Place Everyday Chefs Knife
  • Our Place Cutting Board
  • portable stove
  • electric water kettle

Method
 

Make Dashi
  1. For kombu dashi: Use an electric kettle to make hot water. Clean kombu with a damp cloth. Steep kombu in hot water for 30 min-overnight.
  2. For katsuo dashi: Use an electric kettle to make hot water. Mix hondashi in hot water until dissolved. This dashi is ready to use immediately.
Prepare Mille Feuille Nabe Ingredients
  1. Cut the napa cabbage lengthwise into thirds or quarters.
  2. Tuck slices of shabu meat between the cabbage leaves.
  3. Chop the cabbage/shabu pieces into 2-3" wide pieces.
  4. Arrange the pieces in the donabe or pot, leaving space in the center. Fill the center space with mushrooms.
Make Homemade Nabe Broth
  1. Combine soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar. Mix and then add to the pot.
  2. Dilute the pot with homemade dashi until the ingredients are submerged.
Cook and Serve
  1. Cook hot pot style on the table using a portable stove. Serve rice or noodles with dipping sauces.

Notes

Note 1. For a vegan or vegetarian-friendly version of Mille Feuille Nabe, you can substitute the meat with tofu, oyster mushroom, tempeh, or other plant-based protein alternatives. Slice them into thin pieces and layer them in the same manner as you would with the meat.
As for the broth, you can use homemade nabe broth or tsuyu made from mushroom or kombu dashi (or a combination of both) to keep it plant-based.
We also recommend using high quality soy sauce to enhance the overall flavor of your Mille Feuille Nabe. They will add even more umami and complex flavors to the broth, elevating the taste of the dish!
Note 2. Don't have time to make homemade nabe broth? Try store-bought tsuyu! They are offered in straight or concentrated versions as well as different flavors. You can find them at Asian markets such as Mitsuwa, Marukai, Weee! Asian Grocery App, etc.