KITCHEN PRACTICE 1 — Make the Simmered Kabocha Squash
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TASK
Follow the chapter's own worked example exactly, including adding soy
sauce late rather than at the start. Check whether the squash holds
its shape while still being genuinely tender.

WALKTHROUGH

Step 1 — Prep the kabocha.
Cut into 5-6cm chunks, skin on, peeling a strip or two off each piece.

Step 2 — Build the base liquid.
Combine dashi, mirin, sake, and a spoonful of sugar. Bring to a gentle
simmer before adding the kabocha.

Step 3 — Simmer under an otoshibuta.
Add the kabocha, cover with the drop lid (or parchment substitute),
and simmer until a skewer slides through with no resistance - check
around 12-15 minutes.

Step 4 — Add soy sauce late.
Once the kabocha is most of the way tender, add the soy sauce and
continue simmering a few more minutes until the liquid reduces and
coats the pieces.

Step 5 — Rest, then taste.
Let it sit covered off the heat for a few minutes before serving.
Check each piece: does it hold together as a distinct chunk, or has it
started falling apart at the edges? Is the centre genuinely tender,
not just the surface?

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WHY THIS MATTERS
This is the reference version of the technique - the "control" you'll
compare Kitchen Practice 2 and 3 against. Getting a clean result here,
with pieces that hold their shape and cook evenly all the way through,
confirms the base method actually works before you start deliberately
breaking one variable at a time in the next two exercises.