Spring cabbage, which is available from late February to mid-May, has softer leaves and is more delicious to the core than cold cabbage, which is available in winter. This spring, we will be introducing a cabbage roll hot pot made in a small pot for one person using cabbage. Of course, it's definitely delicious even if you simmer a lot of it in a big pot.

Enjoy the taste of spring brought to you by seasonal vegetables

Traditional cabbage rolls are made by wrapping minced meat or chopped vegetables in cabbage and simmering them in soup, but this cabbage roll hotpot is a little different.
When I asked Ai Hosokawa, she said, ``A local dish from the Piedmont region in northern Italy is cabbage rolls called ``capune''. Ground meat, boiled rice, flavored vegetables, cheese, etc. are wrapped in boiled crepe cabbage and simmered. Instead, it is baked in the oven.The boiled rice inside has a light texture, and when made in a clay pot, it's perfect for Japanese dining.''

We want you to enjoy not only the deliciousness of the cabbage rolls, but also the gentle flavor of the soup. By simmering the cabbage rolls in spring cabbage boiling water, the flavor from all the ingredients is absorbed into the soup, making it even more delicious.

Also, in Italy, they use boiled rice, but in Japan, it is easier to make it using chilled rice. It's best to wash both cold and frozen rice and remove the slime before using.

By using frozen tomatoes in the stew, the soup will have more flavor and a smoother texture. Just keep ripe tomatoes in the freezer. Frozen ripe tomatoes are not suitable for eating raw, but they are perfect for stews, so give them a try.

The cabbage rolls hotpot, which gently blends the flavors of seasonal vegetables, has a gentle taste that makes you feel like spring has arrived a little earlier.It will warm your body and the umami will permeate through your body.

Cabbage roll hotpot (for 4 people)

Roll cabbage
4 large cabbage leaves
Hiki肉 200g
Chilled rice 100g
Nobaru or onions, green onions (appropriate amount)
Lemon zest (appropriate amount)
Herbs (rosemary, Italian parsley) Appropriate amount
salt
4 teaspoons olive oil

Garnish
frozen tomatoes
mustard greens
2 teaspoons olive oil
Finishing
Nobiru or pickled green onions 4 teaspoons

Pour enough water into a clay pot to cover the cabbage leaves and bring to a boil.
Add salt, cabbage leaves, cover and bring to a boil.
When it becomes nice in color and cooked through, take it out.
Leave about a few centimeters of steamed juice in the pot.
Slice the core of the cabbage, chop the nobara, lemon rind, and herbs as appropriate.
Wash cold rice with water to remove slime and drain.
Add minced meat, salt, and olive oil to a bowl and mix well.
Spread out the cabbage leaves, top with equal parts of the stuffing, and wrap tightly into a straw bag.
Tie it up using the stretcher as a string.
Place them in a clay pot with the lid facing down, and add the frozen tomatoes and mustard greens around them.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Cover and simmer until tender, then turn off the heat, taste the soup, and add salt.
Place the cabbage rolls in a warmed bowl and pour over the soup.
Add tomatoes and mustard greens, and drizzle with pickled nobiru oil.

*Cut the Nobiru or pickled onions into small pieces, put them in a jar, pour enough rice oil to cover them, cover with a lid, and refrigerate. Both the fresh scent of freshly made food and the feeling of aging over time are both delicious. It can be used in various dishes.
*Frozen tomatoes are ripe tomatoes that have been frozen whole. The skin peels off easily when washed with water, and when simmered, the texture becomes thick and the flavor is intense.
*If you use herbs and coriander and sesame oil for oil, it goes well as a side dish with rice.

Ai Hosokawa

Cook. He hosts cooking classes and cooking parties in taishoji, Kumamoto. Many books are currently on sale, including ``Toast'' (BON Publishing), ``Standard Cooking Collection'' (Anonyma Studio), ``Travel and Cooking'' (CCC Media House), and ``Taishoji Cookbook 1.2'' (Shobunsha). His online magazine ``Apron and Recipe'' (grembiuli & ricette) is updated every month.

Photography by Ai Hosokawa