Hot Pot Chicken

Use up all your veggies in this brothy braise!

I love hot pot, but setting a bubbling cauldron at the center of the table is out of the question with a toddler who’s at that stage of always trying to Final Destination herself. Instead, I make this braised chicken dish that’s got everything I want from hot pot: a deeply flavored spiced broth, dunkable veggies to soak it all up, and never a boring bite.

It’s also the perfect way to clean out the fridge because I’ll simmer whatever I’ve got kickin’ around in there. Just make sure you keep quick cooking veggies in bigger pieces and thinly slice the heartier stuff, like squash and sweet potato. That way, everything can cook together at the same time. I also make a quick chili drizzle that Ham and I can spoon on to spice it up while still keeping the whole dish mild enough for the kiddo.

tips:

• White pepper’s got a brighter, herby-er vibe than its black brethren. It’s used frequently in Chinese cuisine and will make this dish taste right. If you don’t have it, don’t worry, black pepper will be a-okay. However, if you make a lot of food from this region, I recommend investing in a jar (and maybe even a second grinder like I have).

• Any vegetables will work well here, just note that they will end up fully cooked through and tender—not crisp-tender. So opt for veggies you dig eating that way. For me, that means any greens, mushrooms, and root vegetables.

• Serve this with any kind of noodle, rice, grain, or even nothing at all. I only opted for cellophane noodles because they don’t require cooking.

• Feel free to skip the chili drizzle and use your favorite store-bought (or homemade) chili crisp instead.

• By starting the chicken in a cold pan, you better render the fat and get crispier skin. Plus, it buys you time, allowing you to do all the knife work while it sears. On the flip side, browning can happen unevenly. If some thighs look darker than others, rotate the pan instead of trying to move the chicken around, which could tear the skin.

Hot Pot Chicken Recipe

serves 4 & takes 1 hour

Hot Pot Chicken

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ingredients

for the hot pot:

• 4 bundles cellophane noodles (about 5 ounces)

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil

• 2 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4 to 6)

• kosher salt

• ground white or black pepper

• 1 bunch scallions

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1-inch piece ginger

• enough vegetables to fill the skillet: mushroom, cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, winter squash, etc

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 2 pieces star anise

• 3 cups chicken broth

for the chili drizzle:

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil

• 4 Thai chilies

• 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon black vinegar

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

steps

1. Place noodles in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside. Heat the oven to 350F.

2. Add oil to a large, high-sided skillet. Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel, evenly season with salt and pepper, and place skin side down into the pan. Set the skillet over medium heat and cook until sizzling, then reduce heat to medium-low and keep cooking until deeply browned and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Flip and lightly brown the other side, 6 to 8 minutes.

3. Meanwhile:

   • Thinly slice the scallions (save a big handful for garnish)

   • Finely chop the garlic

   • Finely chop the ginger

   • Prep assorted vegetables: Trim or peel as necessary, then cut or tear into smaller pieces. Keep quick-cooking vegetables (like greens or cabbage) in bigger pieces and thinly slice heartier vegetables (like squash or sweet potato)

   • Thinly slice the chili (set aside for the chili drizzle)

4. Remove chicken from the pan. Add scallions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, and star anise. Cook until wilted and soft, stirring and scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and increase the heat to high. Bring to a simmer then taste and season with salt.

5. Add the vegetables to the skillet, with the heartier veggies (like sweet potato, squash, taro) on the bottom, then pile the quicker cooking stuff (bok choy, cabbage, gai lan) piled on top. Rest chicken on top and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast until the chicken and veggies are tender, 30 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, make the chili drizzle:

   • Heat oil, chilies, peppercorns, and sugar in a small pot until the sizzly and the sugar is starting to brown. Scrape into a bowl and stir in the vinegar and soy.

7. Drain the noodles and serve with the hot pot and drizzle.