Go Back
Print

Mille-Feuille Nabe (Japanese Hot Pot)

Course Dinner
Cuisine Asian, Japanese
Keyword hot pot, mille feuille nabe, nabe cabbage, winter dish
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Servings 5

Ingredients

  • 1 head Napa Cabbage 1.5 kg
  • 500 g Sliced Beef
  • 1 pack Shimeji Mushrooms
  • 4 Shiitake Mushrooms
  • 3 cm Ginger

Broth

  • 10 g Dashi Powder 10 g
  • 5 cup Water
  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
  • 1 tsp Salt

Dipping Sauce

  • Ponzu Sauce

Instructions

  1. In a measuring cup, combine all the broth ingredients. Set aside.

  2. Peel and thinly slice the ginger into 10 slices ginger. Set aside.

  3. Cut the napa cabbage lengthwise into quarters, do not cut the base yet because it will makes layering easier. Wash the cabbage gently and drain well. Reserve if there is leaves that fall off.

  4. Layer the sliced beef by placing a sliced beef between each leaf. If the sliced beef longer than the cabbage, trim with a scissor and layer it to other leaf or place it in a wide leaf.

  5. Cut the hard base of each cabbage carefully without destroying the layers, then cut each stack into 4 pieces.

  6. Packing the layer in a 10-inch pot from the edge of the pot and work your way towards the center. Then add shimeji mushroom and shiitake mushroom in the center. Make sure to pack the pot tightly as the layers will become loose during cooking.

  7. Tuck in the sliced ginger between the layers and pour the broth into the pot. Cover the pot with lid and cook over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer until the cabbage is tender and the beef is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Skim off the foam and fat before serving.

  8. Serve with ponzu sauce. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • Measure your pot. If you are making this dish for the first time, it could be difficult to estimate the size of the pot you need for. I don’t recommend using a larger pot because you will risk having loose layers. If you only have the bigger pot, I recommend buying more mushrooms for the filler, just in case you run out of the layers.

  • Pack the layers tightly! The key to making this nabe is to Pack the layers tightly in the pot. Napa cabbage releases water and shrinks as it cooks, causing the layers to loosen, and the ingredients will release water and shrink. As a result, the layers get loosened during the cooking process.

  • Start by packing from the outer edges of the pot; I personally find it easier to start packing the layers from the outer layers. This way, I can use the mushrooms for the filler in the center. and work your way toward the center. I usually place the thicker cabbage leaves near the pot’s edge and the tender leaves in the center. This arrangement allows you to use a ‘backup plan’ if you run out of napa cabbage before filling the pot.

  • Use one hand to hold the layers in the pot and the other hand to add more layers. Don’t worry if the layers become a bit loose; you can adjust them by bunching them up against each other as you continue to add more