Part 2: Chiaki Kotaro of Soto Recipe Shares Perfect Cold-Weather, Miso-Centered Camp Food Recipes

• Ingredients (single-person serving)

  Prewashed rice1 cup

  Maitake mushrooms50 grams

  Canned yakitori1 can (70 grams)

  Liquid miso2 tablespoons

  Mirin rice wine1 tablespoon

  Sesame oil1 tablespoon

  Condiments to taste

• Directions

  1.Soak the rice in 200 mL of water (not included in the ingredients list) for 30 minutes.
  

  2.Add the liquid miso, mirin rice wine, and sesame oil to the rice and mix thoroughly.
  

  3.Add the canned yakitori and finely broken-up maitake mushrooms to the mixture in (2) and stir well over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.
  

  4.After the mixture comes to a boil, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.
  

  5.Turn off the heat and let the dish steam for about 10 minutes. Top with condiments to complete the dish.
  

Tip: While the rice is soaking, get started on other dishes. Moving along efficiently is the secret to camp cooking.

• Ingredients (single-person serving)

  Block of pork300 grams

  Liquid miso2 1/2 tablespoons

  Garlic in a tube1 teaspoon

  Ginger in a tube1 teaspoon

  Sesame oil1 tablespoon

  Precut vegetables1 bag

• Directions

  1.Place the pork meat, liquid miso, garlic, and ginger into a zip-lock bag and thoroughly rub the seasonings into the meat.
  

  2.Heat the sesame oil in a skillet. Once the pan is hot, add the rubbed meat.
  

  3.Squeeze out the last of the sauce from the zip-lock bag into the skillet.
  

  4.Cook the meat slowly until both sides are nicely browned.
  

  5.Once the sides are browned, reduce the heat and cover and continue to roast until the meat is thoroughly cooked.
  

  6.Once the meat is cooked through to the center, cut into slices and arrange them together with the accompanying vegetables.
  

Tip: To test whether the thick meat is cooked, insert a metal skewer into the center of the meat, pull it out, and place it near your lips to judge whether it is hot. If it is hot, the meat is done.

• Ingredients (single-person serving)

  Heads-on shrimp4 large shrimp

  Chinese cabbage50 grams

  Green onions1/2 cup

  Enoki mushrooms1/2 package

  Tofu80 grams

  Liquid miso2 tablespoons

  Mirin rice wine1 tablespoon

  Water300 mL

• Directions

  1.Add the water and liquid miso to a pot and stir well over heat.
  

  2.Shell and de-vein the heads-on shrimp, leaving the head and tail intact.
  

  3.Put the prepared shrimp in the pot and add the mirin rice wine.
  

  4.Cut the Chinese cabbage, green onions, enoki mushrooms, and tofu into bite-sized pieces.
  

  5.Remove the lye formed by the shrimp stock and then add the ingredients from (4) to the pot.
  

  6.When the ingredients are fully cooked, the hotpot is ready to serve.
  

Tip: Shelling the shrimp in advance is recommended to make them easier to eat. The head will provide more than enough soup stock to the dish.

All the dishes are ready. Dig in while they are still hot!