The King of Clay Cookware: Recipes to Get the Most Out of Your Donabe
When used correctly, a good donabe can quickly become your new best friend in the kitchen. This traditional clay pot has as many uses as its owner can dream up, almost all of which are perfect for sharing at dinner parties, family gatherings, and casual get-togethers. Throw together a last-minute stew or plan ahead and steam an array of delicious dumplings, then set your donabe on the dinner table and tell everyone to dig in.
Needless to say, we’re big fans of this classic cookware, so we thought we’d share a pair of our top dishes to give you some ideas on how to make the most of your new donabe. The following recipes come from a cookbook - Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton - that has become a favorite of many on the rikumo team. If you like what you read below, please consider supporting the authors and picking up a copy.
Green Tea Rice Balls
For occasions formal or casual, a plate of appetizers is always welcome. These Green Tea Rice Balls fit that bill perfectly: They’re bite-sized, easily eaten with hands or chopsticks, and surprisingly easy to make. Give them a try the next time you’re expecting guests.
3 cups short-grain white rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons matcha
1 tablespoon warm water
1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
2 teaspoons kombucha powder (regular or plum-flavored), or 2/3 teaspoon sea salt
Pickled cherry blossoms (sakura no shio-zuke) for garnish (optional)
Add the pre-rinsed rice and 1 1/2 cups of water to the donabe and combine. Allow the rice to soak for about 20 minutes with the lid off your donabe, then cover with the lid and cook over medium-high heat for 13-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit undisturbed for about 20 minutes.
In the meantime, whisk the tablespoon of warm water with the matcha - we use Morihata Organic Matcha for recipes like this one. Once the rice has finished resting, add the matcha, sesame seeds, and kombucha powder, then gently fluff with the rice to combine.
When the rice has cooled enough to handle, transfer about 3/4 cup of the rice to a small bowl. Wet both hands slightly, then carefully invert the bowl, allowing the rice to gently fall into one palm. Use your hands to shape the rice into a ball with quick motions. Repeat with the remaining rice, garnishing each with a pickled cherry blossom, and set out to serve.
Simmered Pork Shoulder
A fine cut of meat cooked to steaming perfection can elevate a dinner party to new heights. This is, in part, why we love this pork dish: Preparing the meat with generous portions of aromatics in a bath of sake and water makes for an unbelievably moist morsel the whole crowd will enjoy (vegans and vegetarians excepted, of course).
For preparing the pork:
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 1/2 lbs pork shoulder, halved
1 cup sake
1 Japanese green onion (negi) or 3 green onions (green part only)
3 cloves of garlic, lightly smashed
1 1/2 tablespoons sliced ginger, fresh
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
For making the sauce:
1/4 cup sake
1/2 cup raw brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup strained broth from cooking the pork
2 teaspoons potato starch (katakuriko)
1 tablespoon water
Garnish and seasoning:
Green onion (white part) very finely julienned, for garnish (optional)
Japanese seven-spice blend (shichimi togarashi), for serving
Rub the salt all over the pork shoulder, then place the halves in a resealable plastic bag and seal tightly after pushing out all the air. Leave the pork in the refrigerator overnight to allow the salt to penetrate the meat, making sure to allow it to rise to room temperature again before cooking the next day.
Remove the pork from the bag and set it in the donabe along with your onion, garlic, ginger, and peppercorns. Add the cup of sake and just enough water to cover the surface of the meat. Place the lid on the donabe and cook on medium-high heat until the broth starts to boil, then turn the heat to low. Skim as necessary.
Cover the surface of the contents with aluminum foil or a drop lid (otoshibuta), then put the donabe lid back on as well. Simmer very gently for 45-60 minutes, or until clear juice runs from the center of the pork when skewered. Turn off the heat and allow the pork to rest - covered - for 1 hour. (If your kitchen is cold, wrap the donabe with a large towel to help retain the heat.)
As the pork rests, make the sauce by combining the sake, brown sugar, soy sauce, and pork broth in a saucepan on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the potato starch and water. Gradually add this mixture to the saucepan, string throughout until thickened. Remove from the heat.
To serve, move the pork to a cutting board and slice thinly. Arrange the slices on a large plate and drizzle with the sauce. Garnish with julienned green onion and sprinkle with the spice blend. Then, enjoy!