From the name, this sounds like a Chinese dish, but actually Chinese cabbage (called hakusai in Japanese) is a major winter vegetable in Japan.

The Chinese cabbages here are much bigger than the ones you find in UK supermarkets, and it’s a job to eat a whole one.

We often use them for pickles, or in a nabe stew (Japanese casserole), but with this recipe you can use up a whole one in no time at all.

This type of nabe dish is very popular in the winter in Japan, perfect to round off an evening drinking with family or friends.

Usually it is made with bacon, but I have done it with slices of pork belly, to make a simple but delicious nabe stew.

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Ingredients

• 300g thinly sliced pork belly
• 800g chinese cabbage
• 1800 ml water
• one inch piece of Ginger
• 2/3 cup of shio koji
• black pepper

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1. Cut the chinese cabbage and pork into 5 cm lengths.

2. line a casserole with cabbage and pork in alternate layers, until it you can’t get any more in.

3. Add water so it just covers the cabbage and pork, add the shio koji, sliced ginger and black pepper and put on medium heat.

4. Cook until the meat has cooked through and the cabbage has softened.