Oden

• 12 cm (4½ in) white radish (daikon)
• 1 block (about 220

Slice the white radish into 3 cm (1¼ in) thick rounds. Peel the slices and trim the sharp edges of the rounds so they don’t break up during cooking. Score a cross in each side of the rounds to help them cook more evenly. Cook in a pan of simmering water for 20 minutes, then drain. Cut the konnyaku in half on the diagonal, then lightly score the surface in a cross-hatch pattern so it will absorb