Pork Belly Mille Feuille Nabe
Pork Belly Mille Feuille Nabe
I am on a challenge this week to clean out my freezer. I love having things in the freezer that can whip out for a quick meal, or for unexpected company. But these days, I don’t get as much people dropping in as I used to, and frankly, I am always trying to use up leftover ingredients from classes that I don’t get much chance to forage my freezer.
It just so happens that I have a class-free week, so its the perfect opportunity for a freezer clear-out. I took out a packet of shabu-shabu style pork belly slices that I like having on stand-by. It is versatile and can be used for anything from grilling and stir-fries, to soups and hot pots.
I was reminded of a recipe that I came across a long time ago, but never got round to trying it. This is adapted from JOC’s recipe, and simplified slightly. I knew I was going to be out of the house most of the day, so this was a great dish to set up in the morning, and would only take no longer than 30 mins to prepare before dinner. I made the dashi from scratch when I got home this evening, but you can use instant dashi, or even just some chicken broth from a carton. Do whatever works for you.
Recipe for Pork Mille Feuille Nabe
Ingredients
250 - 300g shabu-shabu style pork belly slices
1 small head of Napa cabbage
3 slices of ginger
2 stalks of spring onion, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tbsp sake (Japanese cooking wine, or you can use Chinese cooking wine as well)
1 tbsp shoyu (Japanese soy sauce, or whatever light soy sauce you have at home)
½ - 1 tsp salt
800ml dashi (5g bonito flakes + 1 piece of kombu + 800ml water boiled for 10 mins)
Method
Take a napa cabbage leaf and layer with pork belly slices. Repeat with the rest of the cabbage leaves and stack them up together.
Layers of pork belly slices and cabbage.
Cut the napa cabbage stacks into 3 inch chunks and pack them into the pot. I like to start from the walls of the pot and work my way in.
Make dashi by combining bonito flakes, kombu, and water in saucepan. Boil for 10 mins and sieve.
Stick the spring onions and slices of ginger in-between the layers and pour over the dashi.
Bring everything to a boil and season with salt, sake (Japanese cooking wine) and shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and simmer for 10 - 15 mins, covered, until the vegetables becomes tender.
Serve directly to the table with rice.