Chef Esther Choi Shares Kimchi Seafood Pot Recipe from New Cookbook
The dish combines mussels, scallops, and shrimp in a tomato and kimchi sauce, a staple in Choi's Korean Italian American repertoire.
By Marco Whitaker ·
Esther Choi’s new cookbook, Hand Taste: Cook Like a Korean Grandmother, centers on a specific culinary conflict: blending Korean fermentation techniques with Italian comfort food structures. The result is a dish that defies traditional category boundaries. It serves as a direct bridge between two distinct food cultures in a single pot.
The recipe in question is the Kimchi Seafood Pot. Choi describes it as a Korean version of cioppino. The base consists of tomato passata, which she prefers over chunky canned tomatoes for its smooth texture. The sauce is modified with kimchi, gochujang, and fish sauce. This combination creates a savory, tangy, and slightly spicy liquid that coats the ingredients.
The seafood component requires specific handling to ensure quality. The recipe calls for two pounds of mussels and one pound of cockles or clams. It also includes eight ounces of jumbo or large shrimp and eight ounces of bay or sea scallops. Choi notes that the specific type of seafood is less important than the quality. She advises using the highest quality available in a given area. If scallops are expensive, cooks can substitute calamari or white fish fillets, adding them at the end of the cooking process to prevent overcooking.
Preparation begins with cleaning the shellfish. Mussels must be scrubbed and checked for firm closures. Cockles are washed in a flour and salt solution for ten to fifteen minutes to remove grit. Shrimp are deveined but left in their shells. Scallops are trimmed of their small side muscles. Large sea scallops are halved to ensure even cooking alongside the shrimp.
The sauce is built in a large Dutch oven. Cooks sauté diced carrot, shallots, and celery until the shallots soften. Minced garlic, scallion whites, and parsley are added next. The mixture is seasoned with kimchi and gochujang. White wine is poured in and reduced by half over medium-high heat. Tomato passata, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes finish the base.
The mussels and cockles are added first and cooked for about five minutes until they open. Any shell that remains closed is discarded. The shrimp and scallops are stirred in and cooked for another two to three minutes. The dish is finished with lemon zest and juice from half a lemon. It is garnished with scallion greens and parsley. Choi recommends serving it immediately with torn pieces of crusty bread for dipping. It can also be served with pasta or rice.
Choi, a chef and TV personality, runs Mokbar and Ms. Yoo in Manhattan. She co-hosts Food Network’s 24 in 24 and hosts Heat Eaters by First We Feast. She has been a finalist on Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend. She lives in New York City with her husband and son. The recipe is excerpted from her book published by Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company.
