Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki
Sukiyaki is a deeply satisfying Japanese hotpot that occupies a slightly different register from shabu-shabu. Where shabu-shabu is light and clean, sukiyaki is rich, sweet and intensely savoury β thinly sliced beef cooked directly in the pan in a mixture of soy sauce, mirin, sake and sugar, then joined by tofu, shirataki noodles, spring onions, enoki mushrooms and other vegetables that absorb the cooking sauce as the meal progresses. Each ingredient is dipped in raw beaten egg before eating, which adds a silky richness that makes the dish unforgettable.
The traditional vessel for sukiyaki is a shallow iron pan β the same type used in the dish's origins in the nineteenth century, when it was a street food cooked in farmers' field tools. The iron pan heats quickly and holds that heat well, allowing the sauce to bubble and caramelise around the meat edges in a way that ceramic or stainless steel does not replicate. Iwachu and Oigen both produce excellent sukiyaki pans in the collection here, and these are the recommended starting point for anyone serious about making the dish properly.
A portable Iwatani burner at the table is the standard domestic setup for sukiyaki, allowing the temperature to be adjusted as each round of ingredients is added and maintaining the theatrical enjoyment of cooking at the table. Serving bowls, sauce dishes for the beaten egg, and ladles or chopsticks complete the equipment needs.
Sukiyaki is traditionally considered a special occasion dish in Japan, but once you have the right equipment in place, there is no reason it cannot become a regular part of the winter cooking repertoire at home.
Discover more in our subcategories:
Cook in a cast iron pan from our cast iron cookware range and use a portable burner at the table.
Sukiyaki: how to make Japan's most festive hotpot at home β warishita sauce, ingredients and tabletop setup.
Showing 16 products
