Name: Sumo Wrestler’s Hotpot (Chanko Nabe)
Yield: Serves four to six
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 550 ml/18 fl oz/2½ cups sake; 30 ml/2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour; 550 ml/18 fl oz/2½ cups water; 2 abura-age; 60 ml/4 tbsp shoyu; ½ hakusai; 350 g/12 oz chicken, boned and cut into large bitesize pieces; 1 dashi-konbu, 4 x 10 cm/1½ x 4 in; 285 g/10¼ oz packet tofu block, drained and cut into 8 cubes; 12 shiitake mushrooms, stalks removed, a cross cut into each cap; 1 bunch of shungiku or pak choi (bok choy), 200 g/7 oz, root part trimmed; 1 large leek, trimmed; 1 daikon, thickly peeled; 25 ml/1½ tbsp miso (any except hatcho or aka); 20 chives, roughly chopped; 6 sardines, about 350 g/12 oz, cleaned and filleted; 2.5 cm/1 in fresh root ginger, chopped; 1 large (US extra large) egg; grated rind of 1 lime; 10-12 white peppercorns

Preparation info

Serves
four to six

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Japanese Cookbook

By Emi Kazuko and Yasuko Fukuoka

Published 2024

About

This filling hot-pot, called Chanko Nabe, is probably responsible for the vast size of Sumo wrestlers, as it is their first meat of the bay after 4-6 hours or morning exercise. You need a Japanese clay pot or heavy pan and a portable table stove or a plate warmer.

Ingredients

2 abura-age
1 bunch of shungiku or pak choi (bok choy), 200

Asia
Japan

Method

Make the fish balls by chopping all the ingredients on a chopping board, or use a mortar and pestle to grind them. Alternatively, use a food processor. Pulse briefly so the texture is rough, not fine. Transfer to a container, cover with clear film (plastic wrap) until needed.

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