Simmered Chicken and Daikon (鶏と大根の煮物, Tori to Daikon no Nimono)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide heavy pot
• •Wooden drop-lid (otoshibuta), or a parchment circle with a small center hole
• •Fine-mesh strainer lined with a clean cloth

Instructions

1. 1

   Steep the konbu

   Wipe the konbu with a damp cloth, but don't wash it. The pale bloom on the surface isn't dirt, it's flavor. Put the konbu in the cold water and bring it up slowly over low heat, about ten minutes. Pull it the moment the water trembles and small bubbles climb the sides of the pot.

   Boil the konbu and the stock turns faintly bitter and slick. You're protecting clarity, not performing a ceremony.
2. 2

   Finish the dashi

   Bring the water to a gentle boil, add the katsuobushi all at once, and take the pot off the heat. Leave it alone until the flakes sink, two or three minutes. Strain through a cloth or fine-mesh strainer and let it drip by itself. Don't squeeze, or the strong, oily taste of the flakes clouds the clean stock you just made. Measure out 2 1/2 cups dashi for the simmering broth.

3. 3

   Cut the daikon

   Peel the daikon thickly, until the faint fibrous ring under the skin is gone, then cut it into 1-inch half-moons. If you like neat pieces, shave the sharp edges lightly with the knife. Those corners break first in the pot, and a small trim keeps the broth clear and the pieces handsome.

   A timid peel leaves the tough outer layer in place. This is not economy; it is just more chewing.
4. 4

   Brown the chicken

   Pat the chicken dry. Warm the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium heat, then set the chicken skin-side down and brown it lightly, three or four minutes. Turn it once and remove it to a plate. You want the skin to give the pot some flavor, not a hard crust that would make the broth taste heavy.

5. 5

   Start the simmer

   Spoon off excess fat, leaving about a teaspoon in the pot. Add the daikon, the 2 1/2 cups dashi, sake, mirin, sugar, and ginger. Bring it to a quiet simmer and skim any foam. The sweetness goes in before most of the soy because daikon takes seasoning slowly, and you want depth through the piece, not salt sitting on the surface.

6. 6

   Set the drop-lid

   Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up where you can. Add 2 tablespoons of the shōyu. Lay an otoshibuta, a wooden drop-lid, directly on the food; a circle of parchment with a small center hole works well. Simmer gently for 25 minutes. The lid keeps the broth moving over the top of the pieces so you don't have to stir and damage them.

7. 7

   Finish with soy

   Add the remaining 1 tablespoon shōyu and simmer 10 to 15 minutes more, still gentle, until the daikon is translucent at the edges and a skewer slides through without resistance. The chicken should be tender enough to part with chopsticks. Taste the broth only at the end; add a little salt if it needs focus, not more soy if the aroma is already there.

8. 8

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat and let the pot rest for at least 15 minutes. This is when the daikon drinks. Lift the chicken and daikon into shallow bowls, spoon over a little broth, and finish with daikon greens or scallion and a few threads of yuzu peel if you have them. Serve with rice.

Chef Tips

• •Daikon's shun is winter. Choose one that feels heavy for its size, with tight skin and a fresh cut top. If it tastes sharp outside the cold season, pre-simmer the pieces in rice-washing water, or plain water with a spoonful of raw rice, for ten minutes, then rinse and begin.
• •Use chicken thigh, not breast. Thigh stays tender in a simmer and gives the broth enough body to season the daikon honestly. Breast meat turns dry before the radish has finished learning anything.
• •Don't crowd the pot. A single layer lets the otoshibuta do its work, bathing the pieces evenly without stirring. If your pot is narrow, use two batches or a wider pan.
• •This dish is often better after it sits. The first taste from the pot is good, but thirty minutes later the daikon has taken the broth in more deeply. Nimono rewards the cook who can leave it alone.

Advance Preparation

• •The dashi can be made two days ahead and kept refrigerated. Reheat it gently before using.
• •The finished nimono keeps three days refrigerated in its broth. Reheat slowly over low heat so the daikon stays intact.
• •For a weeknight, make the dashi in the morning or the day before. Then the dish is mostly cutting, simmering, and staying out of the pot's way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 375g)