Braised Tofu and Vegetable Hot Pot

Hot pot, also known as steam boat or fire pot, is a perennial favorite throughout China—I encountered vegetarian variations in Changsha, Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Xi’an. Essentially, a large pot is place on a burner in the center of the table and everyone cooks their own food. A fondue pot with a burner, a saucepan placed on a portable burner, or an electric wok or frying pan are needed for the following recipe. Feel free to experiment with your favorite veggie combinations and dipping sauces. Most of all, have fun!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

1 pound extra-firm tofu, drained

1 tablespoon peanut oil

3 1⁄4 cups water

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 tablespoon toasted (dark) sesame oil

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 carrot, thinly sliced

1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1⁄4 teaspoon black peppercorns

4 small heads baby bok choy/Shanghai bok choy (about 1⁄2 pound), root ends trimmed about 1⁄8 inch, each cut lengthwise into quarters

1⁄2 pound fresh snow peas, trimmed

1⁄4 pound fresh shiitake, cremini, or cultivated white mushrooms, stemmed and quartered

1⁄4 pound fresh enoki (golden needle) mushrooms, separated into small clusters

Sherry-Ginger Dipping Sauce, below

1⁄2 pound dried rice noodles, flat (stir-fry or linguine-style) or thin (vermicellistyle), or dried cellophane noodles (mung bean threads)

Place the tofu on a deep-sided plate or shallow bowl. Top with a second plate and weight with a heavy can. Let stand for a minimum of 15 minutes (preferably 1 hour). Drain off the excess water. Cut into 1-inch cubes.

In a wok or large nonstick skillet, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove wok from heat. Add 1⁄4 cup water, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until tofu has absorbed most of the sauce, about 2 minutes. Transfer tofu to a serving plate; set aside.

In a medium stockpot, bring the broth, remaining 3 cups water, carrot, celery, scallions, ginger, and peppercorns to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

To serve, arrange the bok choy, snow peas, shiitakes, and enoki mushrooms on serving plates, along with the braised tofu. Place equal amounts (about 1⁄4 cup) of the dipping sauce in each of 4 soup bowls. Transfer the boiling broth to a fondue pot or saucepan and place on a heating unit; adjust heat to maintain a simmer. Using chopsticks or a fork, direct each diner to add pieces of vegetables and tofu to the hot broth and cook them for about 2 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and tofu is heated through. Each diner removes his food with chopsticks or a slotted spoon, dips the pieces in the sauce in his bowl, and eats. When the vegetables and tofu are nearly finished, the noodles are added to the broth (return it to a boil), along with the remaining vegetables and tofu; they are cooked 3 to 4 minutes, or until noodles are al dente. The contents of the hot pot are divided equally among the bowls containing the remaining dipping sauce, and the soup is eaten.

{PER SERVING} (without sauce) Calories 463 • Protein 25g • Total Fat 13g • Sat Fat 2g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 66g • Dietary Fiber 9g • Sodium 889mg

SHERRY-GINGER DIPPING SAUCE

This dark, rich dipping sauce is one of my favorites.

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

1⁄3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1⁄3 cup dry sherry

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons toasted (dark) sesame oil

4 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Serve at room temperature.

{PER SERVING} (per tablespoon, or 1⁄16 of recipe) Calories 18 • Protein 0g • Total Fat 1g • Sat Fat 0g • Cholesterol 0mg • Carbohydrate 2g • Dietary Fiber 0g • Sodium 201mg

hancheng

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