A donabe is a clay pot used in Japanese kitchens. Cooking in one is an experience. I first became aware of them after lunch at SingleThread, a 3 star Michelin restaurant in Healdsburg. I also read Naoko Takei Moore’s cookbook, Donabe Cooking.
This photo took over a month to create. It is not that the ingredients sat around that long but the props took a while to curate. I knew I wanted earthy, hand-made vessels when I was designing my creative brief. The donabe came from Japan while the oval mushroom bowl is an antique from France. The remainder of the pottery is made in the US and is sourced directly from the artists on Etsy.
Once the props arrived, the pace was quicker. I had to source all of the veggies and tofu locally and then arrange and shoot them while they were at their prime. I opted for a plant-based dish here as part of a series I am working on in my studio.
Not one leaf went to waste as this scene became a tasty pot after the shoot. The donabe started with a rich vegetable broth then the mushrooms were added so they could impart their delicious umami essence. The peppers got tossed in and finally the greens and tofu. Crispy black sesame seeds and Korean pepper flakes were the crunchy and spicy topping. The tofu was marinated in sesame oil, sake, and miso and just heated through on top of the donabe.
Some chefs call for the vegetables to be poached in advance so you can add everything at once at the table. I opted for the “paella” approach where items are added to the donabe in the order that they cook. The rough recipe includes 3 cups vegetable broth, 2 cups assorted mushrooms, 2 cups of kale, 1 cup of broccoli/asparagus, dried ginger root, Korean pepper flakes, roasted black sesame seeds, scallions, miso sauce, and a dab of sesame oil. 1 cup of marinated tofu was added at the end.
One great thing about a donabe is that it really holds the heat after the fire is turned off. This means you can turn it off and allow carry-over cooking to finish items like this stew or rice. You can also put it on the table and it will stay hot during service. Use a hot pad under it to protect your table.
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