Chicken, seafood, glass noodles, and vegetables get briefly poached in dashi-based broth. Cutting the ingredients into uniform pieces ensures they cook in the same amount of time.
Ingredients
1 ounce bean thread noodles, soaked in water 15 minutes
4 cups Dashi
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup light soy sauce (usukuchi)
4 scallions, 2 thinly sliced on a steep diagonal, 2 sliced 2 inches thick
1/4 head of Napa cabbage, sliced into 2-inch pieces
4 littleneck clams
4 jumbo shrimp, preferably head-on
1 (6-ounce) red snapper or black bass fillet, sliced crosswise 3/4 inch thick
1 large skinless, boneless chicken thigh, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 ounces firm tofu, sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 ounces oyster mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
3 ounces enoki mushrooms
1 small carrot, peeled, halved crosswise, thinly sliced lengthwise
Directions
Place noodles in a large bowl and add cold water to cover; let soak 15 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, combine dashi, mirin, and soy sauce in a medium bowl.
Place thinly sliced scallions in a small bowl and add cold water to cover. Soak until they begin to curl, 8–10 minutes. Drain; squeeze to remove excess water.
Lay cabbage in a large donabe or Dutch oven. Arrange clams, shrimp, snapper, chicken, tofu, mushrooms, carrot, 2" scallion pieces, and noodles on top; add dashi mixture.
Cover donabe and heat over medium-high until liquid is just simmering. Uncover, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer until clams open and chicken and fish are cooked through, 5–8 minutes.
