Shabu-Shabu Is Too Easy

Shabu-shabu has the image of a luxurious Japanese dinner party and yet, it can be made with not-so-expensive, everyday ingredients.  Here is our family's Shabu-shabu:

Shabu-shabu Recipe (Amounts written after ingredient are approximate for 2 people.  All vegetables are optional):

• 5cm piece of kombu (kelp)
• Goma-dare (Sesame Seed Dipping Sauce) (click for recipe)  and/or Ponzu
• A bowl of steamed rice for each person 
• 4 cups water
• Beef, Paper-thin sliced,  300g 
• Enoki Mushrooms,  150g     (Shimeji Mushrooms are also excellent)
• Negi (shallot, spring onion), 1
• Moyashi (Mung bean sprouts), 100g
• Watercress
• Carrot shaved with a vegetable peeler
• Daikon shaved with a vegetable peeler
• Hakusai (chinese cabbage, wombok), A few leaves
• Atsu-age (Deep fried tofu), sliced thinly, 150g

1. Boil water with Kombu in a wide flat saucepan (or deep frypan).  Place on a gas cooker on the table.
2. Add some of each vegetable and tofu, in a separate spot in the pan.
3. After a minute or two, each person adds meat as desired.
4. Now it's time to eat, ach person dipping each cooked item in the Goma-dare (or Ponzu).

While wagyu would be the ultimate meat of choice for shabu-shabu, in our family (in Australia) we enjoy whatever thinly sliced beef we can buy locally.  Below is a photo of the "shabu-shabu" beef at a local Korean butcher.  It was about $4 for 300g.

4-Step Shabu-Shabu:
Step 1:  Buy your meat already sliced:

Step 2:  Cut the vegetables and tofu:

Step 3: Get your Goma-dare from the refrigerator: (make a large batch - it keeps well for months in the fridge!)

Step 4:  Put the kombu in the pot of boiling water and add some vegetables, meat and tofu.

...now all you have to do is enjoy it, because everyone cooks their own.

(Don't you love not having to cook cook dinner!)

 ❤Enjoy your Shabu-shabu❤