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Mizutaki
Chicken hot pot
Hakata mizutaki (水炊き): bone-in chicken simmered in a milky clear broth with vegetables and ponzu
In Fukuoka's Hakata district, mizutaki restaurants have served this hotpot since the early twentieth century, and families make it at home all winter: bone-in chicken simmered in plain water until the broth turns cloudy and rich, then brought to the table with cabbage, leeks, tofu, mushrooms and spring onion and dipped in tangy ponzu. Diners first sip a cup of broth with salt, and the meal often ends with rice or noodles cooked in what is left. A portion is about 360 kcal. The most common mistake is simmering too gently: unlike a clear Western stock, mizutaki broth should bubble steadily so the collagen turns it milky. Chef's tip: blanch the chicken first and rinse it; it gives a clean, sweet broth with no scum.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the broth
- 1 ¾ lb bone-in chicken thighs or drumstickschopped into large pieces
- 6 ¼ cups water
- ⅓ oz kombua 15 cm piece
- 1 ⅛ in fresh gingersliced
- 1 tsp salt
For the pot
- 7 oz minced chicken (optional)for meatballs
- 4 spring onions2 finely chopped, 2 cut into lengths
- 14 oz napa or Chinese cabbagecut into large pieces
- 1 leeksliced on the diagonal
- 10 ½ oz firm tofucut into cubes
- 5 ½ oz shiitake or enoki mushroomstrimmed
- 1 carrot (optional)sliced
To serve
- ½ cup ponzu
- 1 tsp yuzu kosho or grated daikon (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Put 1 ¾ lb bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks in a pot of cold water, bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse each piece under cold water.
8 minStep 2: Return the chicken to a clean pot with 6 ¼ cups water, ⅓ oz kombu and 1 ⅛ in fresh ginger. Bring to the boil, remove the kombu, skim off any foam, then simmer steadily, half covered, for 50 minutes, until the broth is cloudy and the meat is tender.
50 minStep 3: If making meatballs, mix 7 oz minced chicken with the chopped 4 spring onions and a pinch of salt and beat until sticky. Drop teaspoons into the simmering broth and cook for 5 minutes, until they float and are cooked through to 165°F.
5 minStep 4: Season the broth with 1 tsp salt. Ladle a cup each to drink first.
Step 5: Add 14 oz napa or Chinese cabbage stems, 1 leek, 1 carrot and 5 ½ oz shiitake or enoki mushrooms to the pot and simmer for 5 minutes, then add the cabbage leaves, 10 ½ oz firm tofu and the spring onion lengths and simmer for 3 minutes more, until the vegetables are just tender. Check the chicken: it should be 165°F at the bone with no pink.
8 minStep 6: Bring the pot to the table and let everyone dip pieces in ½ cup ponzu with a little 1 tsp yuzu kosho or grated daikon.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mizutaki take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
- What can I use instead of spring onions?
- Chives, or a little finely sliced onion.
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SpanishPerfect for:Winter warmers