For the Vegetables:

• Shiitake Mushrooms: Soak dried shiitake overnight in 1 cup of water. Remove stems. For osechi ryori, slice into hexagon shape or decorative flower. For everyday meals, slice into halves.
• Renkon (Lotus Root): Peel and slice into 1 cm rounds or rangiri pieces. For osechi ryori, trim into floral shapes (read section above for How to Cut Decorative Ingredients for Chikuzenni for more details. Soak in rice vinegar water.
• Gobo (Burdock Root): Lightly scrape the skin with the back of a knife. Trim edges and slice into thin slices diagonally. Immidetly place into a bowl of water with 1 tbsp of vinegar. 
• Taro: Peel and shape into octagons by trimming the edges. Slice into half.
• Carrot: Peel and slice into rangiri pieces (diagonal rolling cuts). For decorative use, cut into 1.5 cm thick rounds and shape into flowers (see section above for How to Cut Decorative Ingredients for Chikuzenni for more details). Blanch flower slices in salted water for 2 minutes (this can be done while waiting for chikuzenni to cool).
• Bamboo Shoots: Slice the quartered bamboo into 3-4 slices lengthwise. Then slice into bite size pieces, with smaller pieces towards the base.  
• Konnyaku: Use a spoon to cut out bite size pieces. For osechi ryori, slice into 0.75 cm width pieces and then form them into ribbons (see section in above for How to Cut Decorative Ingredients for Chikuzenni for more details). To remove any odor from the konnyaki, massage it with salt and rinse or blanch in water for 2 minutes. 
• Snow Peas: Trim ends and blanch in salted water for 1 minute. Drain and place into ice cold water to cool. Diagonally slice in the middle and set aside. This can be done while waiting for the chikuzenni to cool.

To cook:

1. Prepare Chicken: Massage chicken with sake and soy sauce, then coat with potato starch.
2. Microwave Vegetables (Optional for faster cooking): Depending on the size of the vegetables, microwave for 1 minute each until slightly soft. I typically do this for taro. 
3. Stir-Fry Ingredients: Heat 1/2 tbsp of sesame oil in a frying pan. Add chicken, cooking until the chicken’s surface is no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
4. Cook Vegetables: In the same pan without cleaning, add 1 tbsp sesame oil. Stir-fry shiitake, taro, bamboo shoots, gobo, lotus root, carrots and konnyaku until coated with oil.
5. Simmer: Add Seasoning A and reserved mushroom soaking water. Bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan. Skim off any skum. Cover with an otoshibuta (drop lid) and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 10-15 minutes or until liquid reduces by at least half.
6. Cool Completely: Remove from heat and let the dish cool completely to allow the flavors to soak in better. If in a rush, transfer the Chikuzenni to a stainless steel bowl and place it over ice water to cool.
7. Reheat and Finish Seasoning: Return the cooled Chikuzenni to the pot and reheat over medium-high heat. Once it begins to simmer, add Seasoning B and stir quickly. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, allowing the dish to become slightly glazed.
8. Serve: Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with carrot flowers and snow peas