Always one to take pieces of local culture and re-dress them in their own swanky style, Rosewood Hotels and Resorts has recently opened a new restaurant at its Rosewood Beijing hotel centered around one of China’s favorite dishes: hot pots. Named Red Bowl, the eatery sets a vogue scene with exposed brick, contemporary and street art, upcycled timber and building materials, and large lacquered tables. The menu is a mix of tradition and trend, suggesting custom-brewed beer and flourished cocktails to accompany all manner of the meal, from the classic broths, meats, and fishes to hand-cut noodles and exotic accompaniments like Inner Mongolian sheep ribs, whole Canadian geoduck clams, and a range of rare mushrooms. Mouth watering already? Fear not. In honor of Red Bowl’s opening, head chef Qing Zhu here shares the following recipe for (fittingly) a red-broth hot pot for aficionados to try at home.
HOT POT WITH TOMATO BASE
(serves 4-6)
Ingredients, Broth
- 2 Large chicken drumsticks
- 1 pc Konbu (Japanese seaweed)
- ½ c Chinese yellow wine or sake
- 1 c Leeks, sliced
- 1 c Celery, peeled and sliced
- 1 tbsp Fresh garlic, peeled and crushed
- ½ c Fresh ginger, peeled and finely sliced
- 1/3 c Soy sauce
- 1 gallon Water
- 2 c Red onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 4 tbsp Sunflower oil
- 1 c Cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
- 6 c Canned plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1 tbsp White sugar
Method
Wash the chicken drumsticks, and place them in a large soup pot. Wash the konbu with the Chinese yellow wine or sake and also add to the pot, followed by the leeks, celery, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. Pour in the water, turn on the heat to medium, and bring the mixture slowly to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for two hours, intermittently using a large spoon to skim off whatever impurities rise to the top. After two or three hours, the broth should taste rich; strain it through a fine mesh strainer and set aside.
In another medium-sized pot or Dutch oven, slowly fry the onion in the sunflower oil until it’s golden brown. Next, add all of the tomatoes and sugar and stir for 10 minutes. Add the strained broth to the tomato based and simmer the new mixture over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently and adding salt and pepper to taste. With a stick blender or food processor, then blend the soup and pass through a sieve until it’s smooth, neither too thick or too thin.
Ingredients, Dipping Sauce
- 8 oz Sesame paste
- 1 Garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 small jar Red preserved bean curd
- 2 Spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 small bunch Cilantro, roughly chopped
- Chinese chili oil to taste
Method
Mix the sesame paste with enough water to emulsify it until it is thick enough to coat dipped items. Add the garlic and two or three pieces of the bean curd and mix well together. Divide the mixture into individual dipping bowls and top each with onion, cilantro, and chili oil.
Recommended accompaniments
- ½ lb Fresh Shijemi or Shitake mushrooms
- 8 oz Fresh sliced abalone mushrooms
- 8 oz Chinese lettuce or Chinese spinach
- 8 oz Kailan or Choi Sum vegetables
- 8 oz Hard bean curd, sliced thick
- 1 lb Beef rib eye, thinly sliced
- 1 lb Fresh mutton or leg of lamb, thinly sliced
- 5 oz Chinese cabbage leaves
- 8 to 12 Deep-fried crispy wanton skins
- 4 oz Black fungus, softened in water (optional)
- 6 pcs Whole wheat baked sesame bun
- ½ pack Chinese rice noodles
- 6 pcs Fresh corn on the cob, cut into thick rings
- 150 g Chinese fish balls, frozen
- 150 g Japanese fish cake
Cooking of the hot pot
Place the pot with the tomato base soup on a hot pot burner. Nicely arrange the accompaniments on small plates or trays around the pot along with the dipping sauce set out for each diner. Cook the accompaniments in the soup by immersing them in the soup either with chopsticks or small baskets. This is best served with cold beer.
For more information, visit Rosewood Beijing.
