Healthy Recipe: Holiday Hot Pot

RECIPE BY LEANDRA ROUSE | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAM EMMONS

Hot Pot is a delicious family meal that is served with a steaming soup at the center of a table, where all guests can participate in flavoring the broth. This is a tradition that has been seen across Asia for thousands of years. Most notably in China (know as huǒguō), in Japan (known as Nabemono), and in Korea (known as Jeongol). It is a fun way to share a communal meal with loved ones, making it especially perfect for the holidays.

To ensure this dish is tasty as it is healthy, we will show you how to make the broth light and the vegetables abundant. The seafood and vegetable theme brings forward some of the best hot pot ingredients such as Asian mushrooms, tofu skin, and daikon. Although, you can swap in similar ingredients based on season and your preferences

The key to a good hot pot is a great broth! We have a great hack to save time and deliver on flavor. Add shrimp and vegetable peels to your favorite pre-made vegetable stock then add This adds extra vitamins, minerals and a rich umami flavor into a packaged broth.

Lastly, hot pot is traditionally served in the center of a dining table. You will need a heat source such as an electric hot pot, hotplate, or induction stoveplate to keep broth warm. (We’ve always used a plugged in hotplate, but this year added an electric hot pot to our holiday wish list.)

Most importantly, share this dish with a group of loved ones. It is interactive, fun, easily tailored for personal tastes, and takes a flavorful departure from traditional American holiday flavors.

INGREDIENTS:

2 32 fl.oz (950ml) containers vegetable broth, sodium reduced or without added salt is preferred

2 teaspoons powdered dashi *optional

1 lb (450g) white fish filets, such as Mahi Mahi, Bass, Tilapia

6 shrimp, peels removed and reserved

1 14 oz (400g) package tofu, firm, cut into cubes

6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced in half

2 enoki mushroom bundles

4 baby (400 g) Bok Choy or Pak Choi, bottoms removed

2 cups (200g) cabbage, Napa or green

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 cup (160g) daikon/mooli, peeled and sliced into 1” (2.5cm) half moons

1 bunch (100g) green onions or spring onions, ends trimmed and reserved

½ lb (225g) vermicelli noodle, cooked

For the dipping sauce:

1 tablespoon white miso paste

½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 ½ tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame seeds, white, toasted

2 tablespoons water to thin sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:

Stock: Begin by simmering shrimp peels, shiitake stems, and any other reserved vegetable peels in one cup (240ml) of water. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Strain and add this concentrated mixture to a large stock pot with the pre-made vegetable broth and powdered dashi.

Hot pot: Chop and plate all the vegetable and seafood ingredients into approximate bite size pieces. Plate decoratively and arrange the ingredients based on the type. Place the ingredients across two or more plates to ensure that guests on all sides of the table have easy access.

Dipping sauce: Whisk together the ingredients in a bowl. Portion the finished dipping sauce into several bowls and place around the table for guests. You may consider individual dipping sauce bowls.

Set the table: Put the heat source at center of the table, arrange the plates of ingredients and dipping sauce around the table so guests can reach them. Supply each guest with a bowl, soup spoon, and chopsticks.

Hot pot meal: When you are ready to serve, carefully bring the large stock pot of broth and place it on the heat source at the center of the table. It should be kept at a low simmer during the meal. Guests can contribute to the flavoring of the broth by selecting raw ingredients, and carefully placing them into the hot pot using chopsticks or a spoon. Give the ingredients plenty of time to cook through and soften before spooning into bowls. The seafood typically will take 7 to 10 minutes to cook and the vegetables a minimum of 5 minutes.Once cooked, ladle the soup from the hotpot into guest bowls, including a little of each added ingredient. Guests can individually season with the dipping sauce.

Eat and be merry!

Makes 15 servings.