Seafood Hot Pot

We traveled to Sam Woo's on Saturday, after a journey to Santa Monica. I needed a bag of rice and when we stop at the Asian Market, it's almost impossible to resist going to the restaurant next to the store. It was after 2PM and the place was jammed, when we got to Sam Woo's. After a few minute wait, my son and I were seated and we started ordering. As "Other" son #2 taught us, you always order the Seafood Hot Pot. You see one on every table as though it is the must have entree.

It contains lots of different things, Squid, Shrimp, fried Tofu cubes, mushrooms, carrots and cabbage, all swimming in a broth in a clay Hot Pot. It is delicious and when I went to the asian market, I saw some of the ingredients for it. I hope to use a recipe to recreate something similar to the one we get there. Here are a few recipes, that give a general idea of ingredients.

I will let you know if I succeed. :-)



Korean Seafood Hot Pot

1 fresh crab or 500g cooked crab claws

300g squid or octopus, cut into bite-sized pieces

8 fresh scallops

8 medium shrimps, peeled and de-veined

12 medium clams or 500g fresh, small clams, soaked in water

for 20 minutes and scrubbed with a brush

2 medium abalone (optional)

4 large Chinese cabbage leaves (125g), cut into squares

1 cake soft tofu (250g), cubed

2 scallions, cut into lengths

1 bunch chrysanthemum greens or watercress

2 red or green chilies, sliced (optional)

1 teaspoon ground red pepper



Fragrant Seafood Stock:

6 cups water

12 fresh mussels, scrubbed and cleaned

3-inch square dried kelp (konbu)

1 leek, white part only, sliced

7 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons grated ginger

2 tablespoons chili bean paste

½-1 teaspoon ground red pepper

1 red or green chili, halved lengthwise

2 teaspoons salt



Method:

Place all the Fragrant Seafood Stock ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, reserve the stock and discard the solids. Keep the stock warm on low heat. Lift the triangular-shaped "apron" on the underside of the crab. Insert your thumb between the body and topshell at the rear of crab, and pull the carapace off. Discard the grey gills and any green or spongy grey matter on the body. Clean thoroughly, then rinse and drain. Quarter the crabs and crack the claws so the flavors can penetrate. Put the crab, squid, scallops, shrimps, clams, abalone, cabbage leaves and tofu in a large casserole dish or pot. Carefully pour the warm Fragrant Seafood Stock over the contents and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes until cooked. Remove from the heat, then add the scallions, chrysanthemum greens and chilies. Sprinkle the ground red pepper and serve with bowls of steamed rice.



I also found a Japanese Version


JAPANESE HOT POT RECIPE

Ingredients:
Any type of Crab
Scallops
Nappa Cabbage
Enoki Mushrooms
Green Onion
Firm Tofu (fried)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbsp. mirin (sweet sake)
2 tbsp. dashi powder
(I did not specify amount of seafood and veggies because you can make as much as you want to eat)

Directions:
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat.
2. Add soy sauce, mirin, and dashi to the pot of water.
3. Throw veggies and seafood into the pot and eat as you cook.
4. Skim any foam that rises to the surface as you cook.