Chanko-nabe, the famous stew of sumo wrestlers

Ingredients

• 300 g of chicken thighs
• 200 g of pork loin
• 2 white leeks
• 4 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 package of enoki mushrooms
• 1 block of tofu
• A quarter of a head of cabbage
• 1 carrot
• 1 bunch of chrysanthemums (shungiku)
• 100 g of kamaboko
• 1.5 liters of water
• 1 sheet of kombu
• Flaked bonito, approximately 25g
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of mirin
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Prepare the broth: heat the water with the kombu, remove it just before boiling, then add the bonito flakes. Let it steep for about 5 minutes before filtering.

Prepare the ingredients: cut the chicken and pork into bite-sized pieces, the leek diagonally, the shiitake mushrooms into slices, the carrot into rounds, the cabbage into pieces, and the tofu into cubes. Remove the chrysanthemum petals and slice the kamaboko.

Pour the the filtered broth into the stockpot, add the soy sauce, mirin, salt, and pepper, then bring to a boil with the meats.

Once the meats are cooked, add the remaining vegetables, starting with the cabbage and tofu, which cook quickly.

Let it simmer over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, removing any foam that forms on the surface if necessary.

Add the chrysanthemum and kamaboko, cook for a few minutes, then adjust the seasoning.