We received this from the BIL and have only instructions in Japanese.

I have been able to figure out that one needs to season it, with
water brough to a boil and some filler like a small amount of rice
bran, but I have a few questions:

1. Does it go directly on an electric element? How high should I be
putting the heat. How about putting it in the oven or the toaster
oven? It seems that gas is preferred but we don't have gas. I could
buy a single gas burner but I have no place to put it, the kitchen
being already stacked high with appliances as it is.

2. What can I cook in it? Someone on a b-board suggested making miso
soup in it. I imagine it could be used to cook rice.

3. Apparently one must not use water to clean (although it's ok to
use water to cook)? Detergents are probably out too, is my guess.

I would be grateful for any other info on getting the best use out of
a donabe pot you could impart.

--

"I'm the master of low expectations."

GWB, aboard Air Force One, 04Jun2003

"Michel Boucher" wrote in message
...
We received this from the BIL and have only instructions in Japanese.

I have been able to figure out that one needs to season it, with
water brough to a boil and some filler like a small amount of rice
bran, but I have a few questions:


I don't recall much about seasoning them, but it has been many years since I
last bought donabe.

1. Does it go directly on an electric element? How high should I be
putting the heat. How about putting it in the oven or the toaster
oven? It seems that gas is preferred but we don't have gas. I could
buy a single gas burner but I have no place to put it, the kitchen
being already stacked high with appliances as it is.


electric element--yes, you can put the donabe directly on the element.
I've never used mine with high heat--I would tend to be cautious and keep
the temperature at medium--no higher than medium-high (and then not for very
long at that temperature). Don't put very cold liquid into a hot pot, or
hot liquid in a cold pot. You can use it in the oven, if you have need to.

2. What can I cook in it? Someone on a b-board suggested making miso
soup in it. I imagine it could be used to cook rice.


Nabe. The first winter I spent in Japan I had nabe almost every night. I
also used it to make fondue once. I've not known any of my Japanese friends
to use it for anything but nabe (doesn't mean they didn't, though), but I
suppose you could use it to make tagines, too. You could make some kind of
hotdish/casserole thing if you wanted to use it in the oven.

For nabe, boil some dashi (I always used instant since I was lazy) and add
whatever you want--I used to like chicken, hakusai (Chinese cabbage?),
shiratake, kabocha and onions. My favourite dipping sauce was ponzu. There
are a couple of recipes at http://www.jhg.co.jp/recipes/recipe_index.html
for which your donabe can be used (Under the "casseroles/nabemono dishes"
heading).

3. Apparently one must not use water to clean (although it's ok to
use water to cook)? Detergents are probably out too, is my guess.


You can use water to clean it (and I've used dish detergent to clean the
inside, glazed part of mine--whether or not I was supposed to is another
question) but you must make sure you dry it completely (the unglazed part in
particular must be moisture-free) before using it again.

I would be grateful for any other info on getting the best use out of
a donabe pot you could impart.


About the single gas burners, nabe is usually cooked at the table, as
shabu-shabu and sukiyaki are. The advantage of having one of those burners
is that it keeps the nabe warm, and you can add more vegetables, broth, or
meat as needed, all from the comfort of your zabuton (since you'll be eating
your dinner at your kotatsu :-)).

rona
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