Oden (Japanese Dashi Hot Pot with Daikon, Eggs, and Fish Cakes)
おでん
https://japanese-kitchen-brothers.com/pages/recipe-oden-japanese-dashi-hot-pot-with-daikon-eggs-and-fish-cakes
Daikon, eggs, and fish cakes simmer slowly in light dashi. Each one goes in at its own time.
👨🍳"On cold nights, my dad bought oden at the corner store. The daikon was always gone first."
Ingredients
Serves 4Main Pieces
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1/2 (~500 g)3 cm rounds
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4
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Rice (Authentic)1 tbspfor pre-boiling daikon
Authentic Pieces
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1 block (~250 g)cut into triangles
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Umami Assorted fish cakes300 g
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Hanpen optional1cut into 4 triangles
Local Broth
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Water1.2 L (5 cups)
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Umami Instant dashi2 tsp
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Umami Soy sauce2 tbsp
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Sweet Mirin2 tbsp
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Salty Salt1/2 tsp
Authentic Broth
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Umami Awase dashi1.2 L (5 cups)
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Salty Light soy sauce2 tbspusukuchi
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Sweet Hon-mirin2 tbsp
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Salt1/2 tsp
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Umami Kombu10 gcut into strips and tied in knots
To Serve
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Spicy Japanese hot mustard (karashi)to taste
Taste & Texture Profile
The Local pot is simple and gentle. The Authentic pot gets more umami from real dashi and fish cakes.
Taste Profile
Texture Profile
Sensory Notes
Soft soy and bonito steam with a sweet mirin note.
A quiet simmer with a bubble now and then.
Light brown broth with tan daikon and pale eggs.
Very hot. Cut the daikon in half and let it steam for a moment.
Clear bonito dashi, kombu, and the light sweetness of fish cakes.
Konjac squeaks a little as you bite.
Pale golden broth with amber daikon.
Best piping hot, with sharp mustard on the side.
Instructions
Cut the daikon into 3 cm rounds and peel them thickly. Shave a thin strip off each edge. Score a shallow cross on one side.
Put the daikon in a pot of cold water. Add a small handful of rice for the Authentic version. Boil gently for 20 minutes, then rinse.
💡 Pre-boiling opens daikon to the broth
Raw daikon is firm and a little bitter. Pre-boiling softens the cell walls and removes the bite. Now broth can seep in. It is ready when a skewer slides in, about 20 minutes.
Why boil it twice? It goes in the pot anyway.
Plain water takes the bitterness out first.
Then the broth goes in clean.
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes and peel them. Halve the potatoes. Cut the tofu into 4 blocks.
Boil the eggs for 10 minutes and peel them. Cut the konjac into triangles and boil for 2 minutes. Pour boiling water over the fish cakes to rinse off oil.
Pour the water into a wide pot. Stir in the instant dashi, soy sauce, mirin, and salt.
Pour the dashi into a wide pot. Add the light soy sauce, mirin, salt, and kombu knots.
Add the daikon and eggs, plus the konjac or potatoes. Heat until small bubbles appear, then keep it there. Simmer for 40 minutes without boiling.
💡 Why oden should never boil
A hard boil shakes the pot. Daikon edges crumble and the broth turns cloudy. Eggs and fish cakes also get rubbery. Keep only a few small bubbles for 40 minutes.
If it bubbles hard, turn it down.
Even when I am in a hurry?
Especially then. Hurry makes cloudy oden.
Add the fish cakes or tofu for the last 15 minutes. Float the hanpen on top for the final 3 minutes.
💡 Some pieces take flavor, others give it
Daikon and eggs start plain and need time to soak up broth. Fish cakes are already seasoned. They give their flavor to the broth. After 15 minutes they are hot and still tasty.
Why not put everything in at once?
Fish cakes puff up, then go flat and bland.
So the daikon waits long, the fish cakes wait short.
Turn off the heat and let the pot rest for 30 minutes. Warm it again before serving. Serve with hot mustard on the side.
Did you make it?
Sign in to rateFAQ
What order do oden ingredients go in?
Daikon, eggs, konjac, and potatoes go in first. Fish cakes and tofu go in for the last 15 minutes. Hanpen needs only 3 minutes.
How long does leftover oden keep?
Keep it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring it to a simmer each time you reheat. Potatoes get mealy, so eat them first.
Why is my oden broth cloudy?
It boiled too hard, or the fish cakes went in too early. Keep the heat low. Rinse fish cakes with boiling water first.
What is karashi and is it spicy?
Karashi is Japanese hot mustard. It is sharp in the nose, like wasabi. Use a tiny dab on each bite.
Can I make oden in a slow cooker?
Yes. Cook the daikon and eggs on low for 4 to 6 hours. Add the fish cakes for the last 30 minutes.
