Chikuzenni is a comforting and nutritious dish made with succulent chicken thigh and hearty root vegetables simmered in a rich dashi broth. This recipe hails from Northern Kyushu and has since become a well-loved dish across Japan.
Wash, peel and cut the carrot, lotus root, burdock root and taro into bitesize pieces. Soak in a bowl of cold water and bring a pot of water to a boil.
Once the water is boiling, place the root vegetables in a steaming basket over the pot of water. Steam with a lid for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, remove the basket to avoid overcooking.
Peel back the drop lid and pour the soy sauce and mirin around the pot. Place the drop lid back on and continue to simmer until reduced to 1/3 of the total liquid.
For the best results, turn off the heat and allow to cool for about 1 hour. This gives the flavor time to develop and deepen. If you want to skip this step, move onto step 9.