Foryoueats: Chikuzenni / Nishime (Simmered Chicken and Vegetables)

Ingredients

• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms (1 oz, 30 g)
• 1 cup water (for the shiitake mushrooms and shiitake dashi)
• ¾ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (skip for vegan/vegetarian)
• ½ Tbsp sake (for the chicken)
• ½ Tbsp soy sauce (for the chicken)
• 5 taro (satoimo) (9 oz, 250 g)
• ½ boiled bamboo shoot (3 oz, 90 g)
• ½ gobo (burdock root) (4 oz, 110 g)
• 1 lotus root (renkon) (6 oz, 170 g)
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned) (divided; for soaking the lotus root and gobo)
• 1 carrot (6 oz, 170 g)
• ½ block konnyaku (konjac) (4.5 oz, 130 g)
• 10 snow peas (1 oz, 30 g)
• ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (for the snow peas)
• 1½ Tbsp toasted sesame oil (divided)
• For the Seasonings:
• 2 cups dashi (Japanese soup stock) (I used standard Awase Dashi, but you can substitute a dashi packet or Vegan Dashi; in a pinch, use dashi powder)
• 3 Tbsp sake
• 3 Tbsp mirin
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp usukuchi (light-colored) soy sauce (or use 2 Tbsp soy sauce + ⅛ tsp salt)
• ½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt