A Meal for the New Year
Simmered Chicken and Vegetables
A meal for the new year is Nishime. Japanese simmered chicken and vegetables is a popular dish. It is an osechi. This means seasonal food, served especially during the New Year’s season in Japan. Traditionally, shops or supermarkets are closed during new year holidays. Therefore mothers cook dishes to last about a week. Osechi includes different kinds of dishes. These are collectively called osechi dishes.
Each osechi has a meaning, The ingredients in this meal for the new year include simmered shrimp for long life, as well as simmered black beans that mean work well. And so on.
Nishime is a dish of simmered chicken and vegetables. Nishime is a standard meal for the new year. It is for when we meet on the New Year’s Day. Nishime also has a meaning. It means strong relationship among family members. It has many decorations, so it looks gorgeous.
Ingredients
FOR THE DASHI (SOUP BROTH):
- 30 grams (1 ounce) konbu /dried kelp
- 30 grams (1 ounce) bonito flakes
FOR THE NISHIME:
- 5 snow peas or sugar snap peas
- 200 grams (7 ounces) cooked chicken meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 100 grams (4 ounces) carrot, sliced 1 cm (1/3 inch) thick, then into "plum flower" shapes
- 100 grams (4 ounces) sliced taro root, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 50 grams (2 ounces) lotus root, sliced 1 cm (1/3 inch) thick
- 50 grams (2 ounces) boiled bamboo, sliced as thinly as possible
- 50 grams (2 ounces) konjac (jelly-like food made from a kind of potato), cut into a decorative rope-like shape
- 5 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed & reserved and tops and stems thinly sliced
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) sake
- 45 ml (3 tablespoons) mirin
Preparation
1. For the dashi: Combine konbu and 1 liter (4 cups) of water into a pot to soak and for 30 to 60 minutes. Bring the pot to a boil, adding the bonito flakes when boiling begins. Keep boiling for 2 – 3 minutes. Filter out the bonito flakes and konbu and set aside until needed.
2. For the Nishime: In a small saucepan, boil the sugar snap or snow peas just until bright green, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, drain well, and set aside for a garnish.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring the dashi to a boil. Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the reserved sugar snap or snow peas. Simmer for ten minutes. Add seasonings of salt, sake, and mirin. Simmer for five more minutes. Turn off the heat and wait twenty minutes. The seasonings will make the nishime more delicious.
4. Finally, garnish the dish with the reserved sugar snaps or snow peas. Serve hot.
Yoshiki Ishiguro
Yoshiki Ishiguro lives in Yokohama city, Japan. He enjoys classic home cooking, using ingredients that can be gotten at a supermarket. He thinks cooking is not difficult and that it is important to enjoy cooking and to have great meals.
Read more from Yoshiki Ishiguro
