15-Minute Salmon Nabe (Hot Pot)

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This 15-minute salmon nabe (Japanese salmon hot pot) was my simple but pampering meal for one. I made it on Friday, where I ended my WFH slightly early for the week. Such a meal is my way of indulging myself before the start of the weekend, by way of an affordable izakaya-at-home. This simple hot pot had fresh salmon chunks, mushrooms and napa cabbage. You can serve it with multigrain rice, or cook some chewy udon for a one-dish meal. Since I am having a few drinks, I skipped the carbs and enjoyed it with some sake (liquid carb :P)

See Also:

• Yosenabe (Japanese Hot Pot)
• Kimchi Nabe (Hot Pot)
• One-Pot Sliced Pork Udon

As a luxurious touch, I garnished the dish with my favourite salmon roe :)~~ These days, I enjoyed relaxing and staying home a lot more, and a nice & quick home-cooked meal definitely contribute to that. 

INGREDIENTS & STEP-BY-STEP (15-Minute Salmon Nabe)

1. FRESH SALMON

Drizzle sake (or any rice wine) over fresh salmon fillet (cut into chunks) and season with a tiny sprinkle of salt. Let the salmon marinate for 5 minutes. This will remove any strong or fishy smell.

2. Easy nabe soup broth

Make a quick nabe broth. I used a combination of dashi soup broth (by using an instant dashi soup pack) and then seasoning the soup with  ramen paitan concentrate for a slightly thicker & cloudy soup base. You can also buy ready-to-cook hot pot soup pack from the supermarkets, but I like to make my own soup broth to save money. This soup broth is enough for two servings and you can keep the leftover soup in the fridge for a few days.

3. Hot pot ingredients (veggies and mushrooms)

Line a fitting and shallow casserole with napa cabbage, followed by mushrooms, carrots and Japanese scallions. I’m using a smallish 300ml casserole, though I think 500ml will be slightly more ideal to accommodate more ingredients for one person.

4. Cook the salmon nabe

Ladle the soup broth to the casserole. Once the soup starts to boil, Add the salmon, cover with lid and simmer for a few short minutes until the salmon is just cooked.

5. Garnish and serve.

Garnish with salmon fish roe (ikura), chopped long green onions (konegi) and lettuce. Serve with a saucer of ponzu sauce for dipping at the side.