Chilled Summer Oden
A refreshing summer version of traditional Japanese oden, featuring juicy tomatoes, tender daikon, octopus, vegetables, and savory fish cakes chilled in a light dashi broth. It's an elegant make ahead dish that's perfect for hot days.
What to drink with it
Oden is often associated with cold weather, but it's just as delicious served chilled during the summer. This refreshing version combines seasonal vegetables, juicy tomatoes, tender octopus, and classic oden ingredients in a delicate dashi broth that becomes even more flavorful after chilling.
The tomatoes absorb the savory broth while keeping their natural sweetness, and the daikon becomes wonderfully tender. Prepare it in advance and let it rest in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight for the best flavor.
What you'll need
- 2 small tomatoes
- 1/4 daikon radish (about 250 to 300 g)
- 4 okra
- 2 to 3 myoga ginger
- 1 Japanese eggplant
- About 100 g octopus
- 2 soft boiled eggs
- 2 to 3 pieces of your favorite fish cakes
- Sliced green onions for garnish
- <Dashi Broth>
- 1 piece kombu
- 1 tsp dashi powder
- 600 ml water
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp mirin
- 3 tbsp sake
How to make it
Prepare the ingredients. Peel the tomatoes after blanching them for about 1 minute. Peel and cut the daikon into 3 cm thick rounds, score both sides, then microwave at 600W for about 7 minutes. Trim the okra and rub with salt before rinsing. Cook the soft boiled eggs for 6½ minutes, cool in ice water, and peel. Cut the eggplant into 4 pieces and microwave at 600W for 1 minute. Briefly blanch the fish cakes to remove excess oil, and cut the octopus into bite sized pieces.
In a pot, combine the kombu, dashi powder, water, soy sauce, mirin, and sake. Bring to a boil, reduce to low heat, then simmer the daikon for 10 to 15 minutes until tender.
Add the tomatoes, okra, myoga, eggplant, octopus, and fish cakes. Simmer for about 1 minute, then turn off the heat and let everything cool to room temperature.
Add the soft boiled eggs, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, then serve garnished with sliced green onions if desired.
Tips
- Chilling the oden for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight, allows the ingredients to absorb the dashi and develop even deeper flavor.
- Fish cakes vary in flavor and texture, so feel free to use your favorites such as satsuma age, chikuwa, or ganmodoki.
- Choose your favorite oden ingredients to customize it to your taste.
What to drink with it
