"Desperation Cabbage": Just Toss a Whole 600g Spring Cabbage in the Rice Cooker, Plus Quick-Pickled Cucumber and Young Ginger

Ryuji began by pulling out a cabbage that had been left in the fridge and had darkened on the surface. Takao said they used to throw out cabbage in that state, and Ryuji said many people probably think the same way, that it's "no longer edible."

According to Ryuji, darkened cabbage can be eaten as is if you cook it. But since the appearance is off-putting if you're serving it to others, you thinly shave the black parts off with a knife. You can also peel the surface with a peeler. Once shaved, it becomes "almost like new," and you don't end up throwing much away. However, Ryuji added that parts that have turned black all the way through from exposure to air are better not eaten.

On this day, Ryuji used a fresh spring cabbage. One head of spring cabbage is about 600g. A regular cabbage can weigh around 1kg per head, so in that case, use about half of a large cabbage. Ryuji explained that viewers should remember "600g" as the guideline. It can be made with either spring cabbage or regular cabbage.

The meat is 280g of mixed ground beef and pork. Ground chicken or ground pork is fine too, Ryuji said.

First, put the ground meat in the rice cooker's inner pot, then push the whole cabbage in on top. If it doesn't fit, you can cut off the core, but the core is edible too, so it's fine to put it in. You can put the whole head in as is, and if it doesn't fit, Ryuji said you can cut it into roughly quarters and fit them in "like a puzzle."

The seasonings are as follows. Ryuji added them into the gaps between the cabbage and the inner pot, but since it's all going to be cooked in the rice cooker anyway, pouring them over the top is fine too.

• 1/2 tsp salt (Ryuji says it's tastier with salt)
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1/2 tsp Hondashi (for a double stock of chicken and bonito; kombu dashi is also fine)
• 200cc water

Ryuji explained that once cooked, the ground meat warms up and absorbs the umami from the cabbage, making it very delicious. You can add garlic if you like, but none was added on this day. The seasoning is kept simple, and everyone adjusts it to taste after it's done with pepper, yuzu kosho, and so on. Since the chicken and bonito stock really comes through, it can be eaten as is or with freshly ground black pepper.

The biggest problem was whether the lid would close. Joking that if it didn't close it would be a "cooking failure," Ryuji pushed it down and managed to close it by brute force. After that, all that's left is to run the regular rice cooking setting. Takao was surprised that there was no real cooking work involved at all.

What Ryuji values most in this recipe is being able to eat an entire 600g cabbage. You don't often eat a whole head of cabbage, but Ryuji said it becomes very delicious just by putting it in the rice cooker and pressing a button.

After trying various methods, Ryuji found it also turned out very delicious when simmered in a pot. But with a pot, you have to go check on it partway through. With a rice cooker, you never have to check on it even once, and Ryuji said that's what makes it the most "kyomu." Takao added that only a limited number of people own a pot that can hold this much.

Ryuji went on to say that while eating out keeps getting more expensive, wages aren't going up, and recipes with lots of seasonings and ingredients have become a burden. This one can be made with just ground meat and cabbage, and cabbage is cheap right now. Ryuji said they chose it thinking people would appreciate a recipe like this. Takao honestly admitted to still being doubtful about the taste because it was too simple.

Since the video would end in about five minutes with just this, they made a side dish while waiting for the cabbage to finish cooking. They used cucumbers left over in the fridge.

Takao said that cooking textbooks say to rub the bumps off the cucumber's surface with salt (itazuri), and that they used to do it. Ryuji immediately replied, "I don't." From experience, the taste is the same whether you do it or not, and it only makes the appearance slightly nicer. Ryuji also said they hate doing things that are pointless.

Here's how to make it. Cut 2 cucumbers (160g) into irregular chunks and put them in a bag. Add 45g of young ginger. They used pickled slices that Takao had bought at a convenience store and had left over. The kind sold at supermarkets is fine too. According to Ryuji, ginger pairs well with cucumber, and pickling it together with young ginger is especially tasty. Always cut the young ginger into thin strips so it blends in well. The more you have, the tastier it gets, so they put in a generous amount.

Young ginger alone won't flavor the cucumber, so add Ajishio and massage it in. Ryuji said Ajishio adds more flavor than regular salt. Start with a modest amount; in the end, they used about 1/2 tsp. With regular pickles, you salt them and squeeze out the moisture, but you don't even do that here. It requires almost no pickling time, and you can eat it right after massaging in the seasoning. Takao said that with this, they could go home and make it themselves in under five minutes.

Once cooked, the cabbage had shrunk to about half its volume. It was so tender that it cut easily with a rice paddle, and even the core was fully cooked through. There was enough for about 2 to 3 servings. Ryuji said it's healthy since no oil is used.

It doesn't look great, but Ryuji's view is that as long as it tastes good, that's what matters. Even so, Ryuji showed some ingenuity in plating it. Placing the core on top gives the impression that it was simmered for a long time and makes it look distinctly like cabbage. "In the end, it's all about how you plate it," Ryuji said. Finally, pour over the stock that has collected at the bottom, full of the cabbage's dissolved umami. Serve with mustard if you want a Western-style dish, or yuzu kosho for a Japanese style.

They tried the quick pickles first. Both were surprised by how much better it tasted than expected, and were shocked that just Ajishio and young ginger could produce this flavor. Ryuji said it was something made on the side, and both agreed that they had "underestimated it." Ryuji went so far as to say that when there are no other side dishes, you could eat rice with just this, and that it would place at the top if entered into a drinking-snack championship, and couldn't stop reaching for the cucumber.

Next, they tried the main cabbage dish. Takao commented that the cabbage was sweet and that their teeth went right through it, even the core, and admitted to having "underestimated" this one too. Topping it with yuzu kosho adds freshness, and pairing it with mustard adds a tangy kick that makes it taste like cabbage rolls. Ryuji suggested that ketchup would also work for kids. The conversation also turned to how, if you eat it with mustard, there's no need to roll cabbage rolls. The quick-pickled cucumber eaten between bites of cabbage was also well received.

The two said the result was two dishes you'd never believe were made just by putting things in a rice cooker. Ryuji closed by encouraging viewers to buy a whole spring cabbage or regular cabbage while cabbage is cheap, and try making it in the rice cooker.