Since the day I found the dream vegetable, the night of December 30th has become stew night.

"With this, I can make the dream dish!"

I still remember the thrill of picking up that heavy, substantial vegetable.

The "Shogoin daikon" radish only appears in supermarkets at the end of the year.
Ever since I found it, I have been making stew on the night of December 30th every year.

I cut the radish, which is so large that it exceeds the size of my joined hands, in three places.

The bottom is shallow. This is to ensure it can stand firmly and stably.
I cut the leaves, leaving a little bit of the base.
I also cut off about one-sixth from the top. This part becomes the lid.

Once that is done, I scoop out the inside with a spoon.
It is a bit hard, so I do it carefully. Since I don't eat the container, I scoop it out as deeply and thoroughly as possible.

I once tried steaming it so that the container could be eaten, but it didn't taste very good. That's why I make sure to scoop it out thoroughly without peeling the skin.

Once you get this far, it's easy.
Just use the scooped-out radish as an ingredient and make the stew as usual.

When you use radish in stew and simmer it slowly, it becomes melt-in-your-mouth sweet. It's delicious if you add a little condensed milk as a secret ingredient.

I carefully pour the prepared stew into the large radish container, making sure not to spill it.

Then, I gently place the lid, with its pale green stems still attached, on top.

This part is very important.
If you are making it exactly like the original, it's better to remove the stems, but I prefer to leave them on.

With this, the dream dish is complete.

In the movie 'Doraemon: Nobita and the Birth of Japan', there is a secret gadget called the 'Field Restaurant'.

The 'Field Restaurant' is a gadget where you plant seeds in a field, and when you open the 'daikon radish' that grows, it contains things like katsudon, spaghetti, or curry inside.
It is incredibly dreamy.

When I was a child, among the videos my younger brother and I watched over and over again, this meal scene was my absolute favorite.

I am making a stew that does not actually appear in the movie.

I must have seen the scene where Shizuka-chan gives soup to a boy named 'Kukuru' whom she rescued and assumed it was stew.
However, I recommend using stew because you can also use the hollowed-out daikon.

In Kagawa, they are sold under the name 'large turnip'.
You don't even have to go to the trouble of making the contents yourself; you can create a 'Field Restaurant' just like in the original by putting store-bought shrimp tempura or hamburger steak on top of retort curry.

During the year-end and New Year holidays, there are many opportunities to eat Japanese food.
Before that, I hope that having a comforting night with a sweet stew containing daikon becomes an annual tradition in our home, and that it leaves a lasting impression on my children.