To Cook
Prepare all fresh ingredients on separate platters around the dining table. Place electric hot pot or hot pot over induction hob in the middle of the dining table.
Prepare dipping sauce by adding sliced chillies into light soy sauce in a small platter.
Combine the stock, salt, sugar and fish sauce in a large pot and bring to boil for about 10 minutes. Transfer half of the stock into the electric hot pot or a hot pot over induction hob. Turn heat on and allow stock to boil again. Once boiling, add in fresh ingredients according to preference, in batches to avoid overflowing. Place lid back on and allow to simmer.
More stock may be added as and when needed.
Boil
Blended Kabocha Miso Soup
To Cook
Heat a large pot on medium, coat the bottom with oil. Add in the onion and squash, stir for 10 mins or until onion is translucent and fragrant and squash starts to soften.
Add in the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Pour in the water and bring to boil over high heat.
Lower to simmer for about 10 mins, until the squash are tender.
Transfer to a blender in batches, blend roughly and return to pot.
Reheat the soup over medium heat until warm.
In a small bowl, mix 2 tbsp miso paste with 1 tbsp hot water, add into the soup. Taste test and add more diluted miso paste if desired.
Ladle the soup into a serving bowl, top with fish (optional), coriander and cracked black pepper. Serve
Korean Cinnamon Punch (Sujeonggwa)
To Cook
Pour water into a saucepan, add ginger and cinnamon and bring to boil. Let simmer for at least 15 mins or until the flavour of ginger and cassia bark has seeped into the water.
Turn off the heat and add the sugars. Stir until the sugars dissolve. Let cool.
Once cooled, pour into a jug and keep in the fridge. If using persimmons, add the dried fruit to the punch 30 mins before serving.
To Serve
Pour cinnamon punch into a glass or bowl, add a few pine nuts and dried persimmons into the drink.
Thai Rice Soup with Pork (Khao Tom Moo)
To Prep
Mix the minced pork with the soy sauce and a large pinch of black pepper. Combine well and form into meatballs.
To Cook
Boil the stock in a pot on high heat. Once the stock begins to boil add the pork and reduce the heat enough for the stock to be at a simmer.
Add the rice into the simmering stock and cook for about 5 minutes.
Add the spring onions, celery and season with fish sauce, sugar and black pepper to taste.
Serve in individual bowls and garnish with chilli coriander and the Thai fried garlic.
Dried Scallops and Minced Pork Congee
To Begin
In a bowl, marinade minced pork with soy sauce, pepper and sesame oil. Mix well and set aside.
Place washed rice in a large pot. Add soaked scallops and water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to medium and tilt the lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally for 30 mins. If congee becomes too thick at any point, add in ½ cup water and stir to dilute.
Using clean hands, drop in marinated minced pork bit by bit to break into small chunks. Add salt and continue to simmer for 5-10 mins until minced pork is cooked.
Transfer to individual serving bowls and garnish with spring onions, ginger and fried shallots. Drizzle with a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce according to taste. Add a dash of ground white pepper if desired.
Fish Congee
To Begin
In a bowl, marinade fish slices with soy sauce, ground pepper and sesame oil for 30 mins.
Meanwhile, place washed rice in a large pot, Add ginger and water. Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to medium and tilt the lid. Allow to simmer while stirring occasionally for 30 mins. If congee becomes too thick at any point, add in ½ cup water and stir to dilute.
Once the congee is ready, put in marinated fish slices and salt. Stir well to combine. Continue to cook for another 3 mins until fish is cooked.
Transfer to individual bowls and garnish with spring onions, ginger, coriander and You Char Kway. Drizzle a few drops of sesame oil and soy sauce. Add a dash of ground pepper if desired.
Japanese Pork and Potato Stir Fry
To Cook
In a pot, bring water to boil and turn the heat off. Blnach the potato matchsticks for 10-15 secs. Drain well.
Heat oil in a frypan over high heat. Sauté ginger for about 30 secs.
Add pork, then soy sauce, and stir-fry until the pork changes colour. Turn the heat to low and add sake and water, stir for about 1-2 mins until the meat is cooked through.
Add potatoes and stir-fry until potatoes are coated with sauce. Add spring onions and cook for 30 secs. Turn the heat off.
Add salt to adjust the flavor, if required. Add sesame oil and mix lightly.
Transfer to dish and garnish with spring onions. Serve immediately.
Pine Nut Congee (Jatjuk)
To Cook
Rinse and drain the soaked short-grain rice. Place it into a blender, add in the pine nuts and 2 cups of water. Blend for approximately 3 mins until the mixture turns into a milky white liquid.
Pour the milky liquid into a pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes. Add salt to taste and allow to cook for another 5 minutes, continue to stir.
The congee will turn into a soupy consistency. Turn heat off and transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with some pine nuts and serve hot.
Japanese Seven Herb Rice Congee (Nanakusa Gayu)
To Begin
Drain soaked rice and place in a claypot. Add 1 cup of water and bring to boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, turn the heat down to the lowest heat setting on the stove and gently stir to avoid rice sticking to the bottom of the claypot. Cover claypot with lid and allow to simmer the rice for about 30 minutes.
Then turn heat and let it sit with lid on for a further 10 minutes. The rice should be soft and thickened.
Remove lid, add nanakusa and stir gently, then add salt to taste. Serve hot.
Note:
For fresh nanakusa, blanch herbs in boiling water with a pinch of salt for a few seconds. Remove from boiling water and rinse under cool running water. Drain and squeeze water out, finely chop herbs and allow to dry.
Vietnamese Chicken Congee (Chao Ga)
To Cook
In a large stock pot, place the chicken in and fill with enough water to cover the chicken. Add 1 peeled whole onion and 1 tbsp salt to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. And then turn the heat down to medium and let chicken cook for a further 30-45 minutes, or until tender. Remove any froth or foam that appears on the surface.
Retain liquid in the stock pot and remove chicken from the pot and rinse under cold water to cool down and avoid discoloring. Shred the chicken meat and set aside.
Drain soaked rice and glutinous rice, adding them along with the ginger and shallot to the broth in the stock pot. Let it sit for 45 minutes untouched.
After 45 minutes, give the rice a stir and bring to boil over medium high heat for a further 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then season to taste with salt, fish sauce and chicken stock.
Transfer and serve in individual serving bowls. Top with the shredded chicken and. garnish with chopped spring onion, coriander or Vietnamese mint, and fried shallots.
Korean Chicken Congee (Dakjuk)
To Cook
Drain soaked rice. Heat oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Add drained rice and saute for about 2 minutes. Add in chicken stock and bring to boil. Then lower heat and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid rice sticking to the bottom of the pot.
After 15 minutes, add in the finely chopped carrot and garlic. Allow to cook for a further 15 minutes, continue to stir occasionally.
The rice should soften and thicken up by then. Turn heat off and add in spring onions and Korean chives. Stir evenly and serve onto individual serving bowls, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
Winter Melon Soup
To Cook
First prepare the pork by adding to vigorously boiling water for 10 minutes, then discard the boiling water. Then remove any impurities from the pork.
In a large pot, add the blanched pork, winter melon, red dates and dried scallops to 2lt of water. Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for about an hour.
Add the goji berries to the soup and allow to simmer for another hour.
Season with salt to taste. Turn the heat back up and bring the soup to a boil before turning off the heat. Serve hot.