Homestyle Japanese Oden Hot Pot

Press or gently pound the konnyaku with your fist or palm to loosen its texture without breaking it apart.

Cut the konnyaku into bite-size triangles or rectangles. Blanch briefly in boiling water, then drain to remove any strong aroma.

Make a few shallow cuts in the chicken wings so they cook evenly and release flavor into the broth.

Place the chicken wings under a broiler or grill and cook until lightly browned on the outside.

Remove the browned wings from the grill and let excess fat drip off before adding them to the hot pot.

Place the fish cakes, chikuwa, satsuma-age-style pieces, and atsuage in a colander.

Pour boiling water over the fried fish cakes and tofu products to rinse away excess surface oil. Drain well.

In a large pot, arrange the daikon, eggs, konnyaku, chicken wings, sausages, meatballs, atsuage, and fish cakes. Add the water, dashi sachets, usukuchi soy sauce, sugar, mirin, sake, and salt.

Bring the broth to a gentle simmer. After about 10 minutes, remove the dashi sachets so the stock does not become bitter or overly strong.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 1 hour, keeping the broth just below a rolling boil. Add the mochi kinchaku near the end so they stay intact.

Serve hot with plenty of broth. If using skewered cooked octopus, add it toward the end and warm until tender.