The Stock Pot Inn, run by Anju and her mother, is one of Clock Town’s most familiar landmarks in The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask, offering lodging and comfort to the many travelers who gather each year for the Carnival of Time. Among its residents is Anju’s grandmother, whose humorous habit of pretending senility to avoid Anju’s notoriously poor cooking adds a memorable bit of charm to the inn’s story. During the Anju and Kafei side quest, Anju is seen bringing her grandmother a lunch tray, offering a small but intriguing glimpse into daily life inside the inn. Inspired by that moment, this recipe imagines the meal as a comforting lunch set of chicken takikomi gohan and tomato dashi soup, two gentle, nourishing dishes well suited for an elderly guest.
The meal begins with homemade dashi, which forms the savory backbone of both dishes. The takikomi gohan combines rice cooked in dashi with lightly seared chicken, vegetables, shallot, and peas for a flavorful one-pot rice dish that is hearty yet delicate. Alongside it, the tomato dashi soup blends grated tomato, tomato paste, tofu, soy sauce, and a touch of sugar into a light, warming broth with balanced sweetness and umami. Together, the two dishes create a cozy and satisfying lunch that feels right at home in the Stock Pot Inn.
Ingredients
Dashi
7 cups water
1 4x6 inch piece of kombu
2 cups bonito flakes, loosely packed
7 cups water
1 4x6 inch piece of kombu
2 cups bonito flakes, loosely packed
Chicken Takikomi Gohan
2 cups short-grain Japanese rice
2 ¼ cups dashi
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
½ tsp salt
1 small carrot, julienned
3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch cubes (1-2 boneless thighs)
¼ cup frozen peas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cups short-grain Japanese rice
2 ¼ cups dashi
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
½ tsp salt
1 small carrot, julienned
3 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 cup boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch cubes (1-2 boneless thighs)
¼ cup frozen peas
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Tomato-Dashi Soup with Tofu
4 cups dashi
1 medium tomato, grated
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
½ block soft tofu, cut into very small cubes
Salt
4 cups dashi
1 medium tomato, grated
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp sugar
½ block soft tofu, cut into very small cubes
Salt
We begin by first making the dashi broth. The first step is to cold brew the kombu in water. Cold brew the kombu by steeping it in 7 cups of water for at least 30 minutes, but up to 3 hours, if possible. Cold brewing in a large enough sealable jar is recommended, but 30 minutes in a pot will do.
After cold brewing, add the kombu and water to a sauce pot over medium-low heat, and slowly bring to a near boil. This will take roughly 10-12 minutes. Skim the foam and impurities from the top of the broth while the water is slowly coming to a boil.
Just before the pot starts to come to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and remove and discard the kombu. Add the bonito flakes and return the pot to the heat. Bring the pot back to a boil.
Once the pot comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and allow the stock to simmer for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat, and allow the bonito flakes to soak in the stock for 10 more minutes. After 10 minutes, strain the stock into a bowl through a mesh strainer. Discard the bonito flakes. Your dashi broth is ready.
Now we can make the Chicken Takikomi Gohan. Season the chicken pieces lightly with salt and pepper. Heat a small skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon of oil and coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken and sear briefly, about 1 minute per side, just until lightly golden on the outside but not fully cooked. Sear the chicken pieces on one side, flip them over, then sear on the opposite side. Remove the pan from the heat once the chicken is seared.
Rinse the rice in a colander under your sink faucet with cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then add it to the rice cooker bowl along with the 2 ¼ cup of dashi broth. Season lightly with salt, then scatter in the chopped vegetables and sliced shallot, spreading everything into an even layer.
Transfer the chicken, along with any flavorful juices from the pan, directly onto the rice and vegetables in the cooker. Sprinkle the frozen peas over the top. Close the lid and cook using the regular setting until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed. Once finished, let the rice rest for a few minutes, then gently fold everything together before serving, taking care not to mash the grains.
This dish is designed for the rice cooker, but it can also be prepared on the stovetop using a heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid. Simply follow the same layering method, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low heat until the rice is tender.
While the rice is cooking, we can make the Tomato-Dashi Soup. Set a small pot over medium heat and bring the 4 cups of dashi broth to a gentle simmer.
Stir in the grated tomato and tomato paste, mixing until the paste fully dissolves into the broth. Let the soup simmer softly for about five minutes, allowing the tomato to deepen and round out the dashi.
Add the soy sauce and sugar,and stir to incorporate into the broth. Gently add the tofu cubes and let them warm through without allowing the soup to boil vigorously, about 1-2 minutes.
The soup is now ready. Set it aside and keep warm until the rice is done and rested.
Once both dishes are done, you are ready to serve. Add a rounded mound of the rice to a plate (you can use a rice bowl to measure the serving and then invert it on the plate to create the mound). Fill a small bowl with the soup. Repeat this for each person you are serving. Enjoy!