Oden
By: Bebe Love Okazu
Published: Friday, July 9, 2010 - 5:29pm

Preparation

1 In a medium pot, bring water to boil and hard boil eggs. I usually boil 1 – 2 eggs per person. Let the eggs cool, then peel the shell off.  Cut chicken into large pieces. Next, Slice konnyaku into large triangular pieces. Then slice triangles in half, once more. 2 Slice pink kamaboko (the package actually says red kamaboko but it’s pink) into 3/4-inch thick pieces. Make sure you separate the kamaboko from the wooden board first, by slicing horizontally between the board and the kamaboko to which it’s attached. Next, slice daikon into round 1-inch thick pieces, and finally rough chop carrots and potato. 3 Slice larger pieces of fish cake from the assorted fish cake package in half, or medium size pieces. The two pouches tied with daikon “ribbon” are inari (fried tofu) with mochi (rice cake) inside. You’ll also find a type of fish cake at the bottom called, hanpen. Slice this in half, otherwise you’ll have one huge puffy white square when your oden is done. ;) 4 Add all of the oden ingredients into a large stock pot, including chicken. Add enough water, about 10 – 12 cups, to cover all of the ingredients at least 1-inch above the ingredients. Once the water comes to a boil, skim foam and residue from the chicken. Add 1 oden seasoning pack and pour a splash of mirin. 5 Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 30 minutes. Once the eggs absorb the color of the broth and the fish cakes “puff-up” and expand to absorb the broth, the oden is ready to serve. 6 Oden is best served with ample broth and karashi, or Japanese hot mustard. I didn’t add much broth in my bowl pictured below, but the karashi mixed into the broth tastes really yummy.