Shabu Shabu

Preamble
Shabu Shabu means 'washing', it is to describe the sound and effect of the very light cooking of the beef in the stock, it should be just 'washed' by the boiling liquid for a few seconds.

Akio Soga

Shabu Shabu

Shabu Shabu means 'washing', it is to describe the sound and effect of the very light cooking of the beef in the stock, it should be just 'washed' by the boiling liquid for a few seconds.

It is best to prepare the base and then cook and serve directly at the table. For this you need a portable gas flame. If you cook in the kitchen and bring to the table, the beef will harden.

Serves four

Ingredients
600 g sliced Scotch fillet
8 leaves Chinese cabbage
8 oyster mushrooms
80 g baby spinach
1 leek (cut into strips vertically)
8 pieces tofu
400 g udon (Japanese noodles)
20 g konbu (seaweed)

Ponzu Dipping Sauce:
50 ml soy sauce
20 ml lemon juice
20 ml orange juice
30 ml rice vinegar
20 ml mirin
2 spring onions, chopped finely
50 g white radish, grated and pressed to extract moisture - optional. The radish adds a pungent flavour which some people do not like.

Sesame dipping sauce
60 g sesame paste
10 ml soy sauce
50 ml soup stock or water (can be made from konbu or bonito flakes)
10 ml mirin

METHOD:
Put water and konbu into a large pot - suitable to take to the table and heat up
When the water is boiled take the seaweed out of the pot
Add one third of the vegetables
Prepare flame at table, set out the dipping sauces and bowls for your guests
At the table, bring liquid back to boil, add the tofu, udon and the meat. Your guests can add the meat themselves using chopsticks. Just allow the liquid to 'wash' the meat and take out as soon as it changes colour and goes pink
When cooked, dip the meat into either - or both of the dipping sauces
Add more vegetables as you keep cooking the meat
Eat the noodles at end with a bit of the stock which will have developed a rich flavour
Japanese beef is now produced in Australia from Australian Angus beef which has been inseminated with Japanese beef semen.

Hanabishi is at 187 King Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Phone: 03 9670 1167, Mietta's Eating & Drinking in Australia 2001