RECIPES: With hot pot, anything goes — spicy or plain, rich or vegan friendly
When I wrote about chef Todd Dae Kulper for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s “At Home with Atlanta Chefs” series last year, I asked for a recipe he likes to cook with his family. He sent me a novel — about the pleasures of hot pot.
We ended up going with the Umi executive chef’s recipe for a quick and easy bibimbap, but his hot pot rumination and recipes — everything from spicy Sichuan to a “beautifying broth” for the skin — were too good to throw away.
“I love this recipe for anyone that wants to nourish their family or friends,” Kulper wrote me enthusiastically. With Chinese-inspired hot pots, he said, you can impress your guests with a spread, make health-conscious decisions bite by bite, and stay on budget, too. “I chose this meal because it works for all three categories. You can ‘show out’ or prepare it specifically for yourself and family! This dish caters to everyone and is customizable to fit everyone’s taste and dietary profiles.”
Chef’s got a point.
Stopping by Kulper’s Johns Creek home for a demo, I was blown away by the beauty and simplicity of his table. Previously, most of my hot pot meals were limited to restaurants, where big bowls of broth are the norm, and customers are charged by the number of add-ins. It’s tempting to load up.
Kulper’s approach is more refined. He cooks at a high-end Japanese restaurant, after all. His customers expect dishes to please the eye as well as the mouth. Born in Korea, he was adopted by an Iowa farm couple, but in work and in life, he has embraced Asian culture. His wife, Mina, is Korean, and their heritage is reflected in their cooking.
The chef’s family is into eating healthy meals, and when he feels the urge for a cleanse, he turns to vegetables and vegan fare. His hot pot set-up is built around a divided dish, so that carnivores and vegans can dine in harmony. You can have leafy greens, dainty enokis and tofu in kelp-based broth. I can have beef, shrimp and fish balls in a fiery Sichuan soup made with bone broth. No one leaves hungry.
Hot pots are clever and crafty, in that they can serve as both a communal experience and the ultimate DIY dinner. In the company of others, you can cook and compose your own personal bowl.
When you’re ready to plunge into a hot pot, spend the morning at an Asian market, then call all your friends. At stores like Jusgo, a Chinese supermarket in Duluth, you can find snow pea tips, chrysanthemum greens, dried wood ear mushrooms and kelp, and aisle after aisle of frozen goodies to dunk in your pot: fish cakes, shrimp balls, shrimp tofu, frozen dumplings.
Kulper’s hot pot bases come together in minutes — though for the vegan recipe, you do need to soak kelp in water overnight. If time is an issue, you don’t even have to shop for multiple ingredients to make a base. Many Asian stores have a crazy abundance of packaged hot pot starters. No judgement here: They may be store-bought, but they are known to pack deeply complex flavors.
In fact, a recent New York Times story on hot pot, timed for Lunar New Year, featured a recipe calling for packaged hot pot base and suggesting a divided dish so that lovers of both spicy and bland broths can share the love, or at least the tofu and the lotus root.
One thing you don’t want to omit is a starchy element. At the end of your repast, toss in a package of ramen noodles (sans flavor packet), a few scoops of cooked white rice, or some frozen dumplings. They’ll absorb the flavors of the pot and any leftover morsels — to delicious effect.
Curious about Kulper’s beautifying broth? (I know I am.) Follow the recipe for the Sichuan hot pot, but omit the shiitakes, chiles and chile oil, and add 3 ounces of dried dates or jujubes and 2 of wolfberries — aka goji berries. Toss in some extra garlic and ginger.
“There are no rules to hot pot,” Kulper says. “I recommend you get creative with it.”
RECIPES
Hot pots offer something for every taste. Todd Dae Kulper, executive chef at Umi in Buckhead, offers recipes for meat lovers and vegans, too. With minimal preparation, you can put out a spread to wow your guests. If you’re feeding a crowd, you can easily double or triple the amount of broth. Just don’t forget the noodles.
Sichuan Spicy Hot Pot
For this one-pot meal, you may use any broth of choice, store-bought or homemade. Kulper likes low-sodium chicken broth or beef bone broth. For my version, I used chicken thighs to make a rich, golden broth. You may use vegetable or vegan broth, including the seaweed-based stock in our recipe for Vegan Hot Pot. Plain water works, too. The aromatics and add-ins will impart flavor.
- 2 quarts broth of any type, or water
- 2 cups dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and rinsed in cool water
- 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 6 to 8 dried chiles such as chile de arbol or Chinese dried chiles
- 2 scallions, sliced into pieces
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon Sichuan chile oil, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chile crisp or other Chinese chile-oil based condiment (Kulper likes Lee Kum Kee brand chiu chow style chile oil)
- Salt
- A variety of proteins and vegetables for cooking in the pot, such as thinly sliced beef or pork; shrimp, baby squid or other seafood; frozen fish balls; tofu; leafy greens such as spinach, Taiwanese lettuce (a choy), bok choy, napa, watercress, chrysanthemum leaves, snow-pea tips and bean sprouts; virtually any kind of mushroom (such as shiitake, enoki, white beech) or vegetable of choice, including tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, green beans, daikon and lotus root; dry noodles, cooked rice or frozen dumplings
- Alexandra’s Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
- To make soup base: Pour broth or water into a stockpot or other large boiler; add dried shiitakes, garlic, dried chiles, scallions, ginger, Sichuan chile oil and chile condiment. Bring to a boil over high heat; then turn heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt. Strain broth. (If you want to leave chiles, shiitakes or other ingredients in the soup, plop them back in.)
- To set up hot pot: Arrange uncooked ingredients on trays or platters and set them on the table. Pour servings of Alexandra’s Dipping Sauce into individual bowls, one for each guest, and place on table. If using a tabletop setup, place broth in pot over heating element and bring to a simmer. If you don’t have a hot plate, use the stove: Bring broth to a simmer in a shallow pot or skillet over medium heat. Place additions nearby on countertops.
- To make hot pot: First, add ingredients that require more time to cook (think: potatoes, mushrooms, thick-stemmed greens). Simmer until almost tender, 5-10 minutes. Now add tender leafy greens, sliced meats or seafood (if using) and simmer until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- When the ingredients are done to your liking, remove from broth, place in individual bowls, and ladle broth on top. Dip bites into sauce as desired. As the meal winds down, add noodles or other starch to the broth (if using), and cook until done, about 3-5 minutes.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, no noodles: 439 calories (percent of calories from fat, 16), 15 grams protein, 93 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total sugars, 14 grams fiber, 9 grams total fat (1 grams saturated), 10 milligrams cholesterol, 285 milligrams sodium.
Vegan Hot Pot
For centuries, Asian cooks have used dried seaweed to make an umami-rich stock. It is simplicity itself, and an excellent base for a vegan or vegetarian hot pot. Call this recipe the skinny hot pot.
- 1 package (150 grams) dried kelp, torn into 1-inch pieces
- 2 quarts water
- A variety of vegetables, mushrooms, noodles, tofu and or/cooked rice for simmering in broth, such as spinach, Taiwanese lettuce (a choy), bok choy, napa, watercress, chrysanthemum leaves, snow-pea tips, bean sprouts, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, green beans, daikon, lotus root, shiitakes, enokis, white beech mushrooms, firm, soft or fried tofu squares (available at Asian markets already cooked) and packaged ramen (discard flavor packet or save for another use)
- Alexandra’s Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
- To make broth: In a large bowl or pot, place kelp and top with water. Cover and soak overnight. Strain the liquid into a stock pot. (Discard kelp or save for another use.) Bring kelp broth to a boil over high heat. Skim off foam. Simmer for a minute or two. Remove from heat and set aside.
- To set up hot pot: Arrange hot pot ingredients on trays or platters and set them on the table or countertop. Pour a serving of Alexandra’s Dipping Sauce into individual bowls, one for each guest, and place on table. If using a tabletop setup, place broth in pot over heating element and bring to a simmer. If you don’t have a hot plate, use the stove: Bring broth to a simmer in a shallow pot or skillet over medium heat. Place additions nearby on countertops.
- To make hot pot: First, place ingredients that require more time to cook in the pot (potatoes, mushrooms, thick-stemmed greens). Simmer until almost tender, 5-10 minutes. Now add tender leafy greens or tofu and cook until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.
- When the ingredients are done to your liking, remove from broth, place in individual bowls, and ladle broth on top. Dip bites into sauce as desired. As the meal winds down, add noodles or other starch to the broth (if using), and cook until done, about 3-5 minutes.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per serving, with tofu and one 3-ounce packet ramen noodles: 444 calories (percent of calories from fat, 26), 26 grams protein, 65 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, 11 grams fiber, 14 grams total fat (4 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 492 milligrams sodium.
Alexandra’s Dipping Sauce
Alexandra Jang, 13, loves to help her dad, chef Todd Dae Kulper, in the kitchen, and when it comes to hot pot, this is her favorite dipping sauce. Excellent taste, young lady! We loved it, too.
- 4 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/2 cup rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon citrus juice (such as lemon, lime or yuzu)
- 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 large jalapeno or serrano pepper, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons cilantro, finely minced
- In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, citrus juice, garlic, jalapeno or serrano pepper, and cilantro. Stir well to combine.
Nutritional information
Per serving: Per tablespoon: 5 calories (percent of calories from fat, 7), trace protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace total sugars, trace fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 219 milligrams sodium.Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
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