Mizutaki Chicken Hot Pot
A gentle Japanese hot pot of bone-in chicken simmered in a clear, savoury broth with cabbage, tofu and mushrooms, then dipped in ponzu. Easy to share at the table.
Published 1 Oct 2026Tested by Hina Ikram
Ingredients
Equipment: Large heavy pot or donabe, second pot for blanching, fine sieve, tabletop burner (optional), small dipping bowls
Method
Put the kombu in the 2 litres of cold water in a large pot and leave it to soak while you prepare the other ingredients.
Bring a separate pot of water to a boil. Blanch the chicken pieces for 1–2 minutes until the surface turns pale, then drain and rinse under cold water to remove scum.
Heat the kombu water over medium heat. Remove the kombu just before it boils, when small bubbles form at the edges of the pot.
Add the blanched chicken, sake, ginger, bruised spring onion whites and salt. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a low simmer.
Simmer uncovered for 35–40 minutes, skimming off foam often, until the chicken is tender and reads at least 74°C at the thickest part, away from the bone. The broth should stay fairly clear.
Strain out the ginger and spring onion whites if you like a cleaner pot. Taste the broth and add a pinch more salt if needed. It should be gentle and savoury.
Add the carrots and mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes. Then add the cabbage stems and tofu, and lay the cabbage leaves on top.
Cover and cook for another 5 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and wilted and the carrots are tender when pierced.
Mix the grated radish and sliced green spring onion into the ponzu in small bowls. Ladle chicken, vegetables and broth into bowls and dip as you eat.
To finish, add the cooked rice to the remaining broth and simmer for 3 minutes. Stir in the beaten egg off the heat until just set, and season with salt.
Cooking tips
- Keep the broth at a gentle simmer once the chicken goes in. A hard boil makes the broth murky and the meat stringy.
- Bones and skin give the broth body, so avoid boneless breast if you can. If you only have breast, shorten the simmer to 15 minutes.
- Skim foam early and often for a clear, clean-tasting soup.
- Add vegetables in order of cooking time: carrots first, leafy cabbage last.
Substitutions
- No kombu: simmer the chicken with an extra slice of ginger and a little more salt; the broth will be lighter in flavour.
- No ponzu: mix soy sauce and lemon or lime juice 1:1, with a pinch of sugar if you like.
- No mooli: use finely grated cucumber or a little chilli flakes in the dip.
- Use any firm vegetables you have, such as spinach, bok choy or turnip, in place of cabbage or carrots.
Serve with
Serve straight from the pot at the table with bowls of ponzu dip, grated radish and spring onion. Finish with the rice porridge made in the leftover broth.
Storage
Cool quickly and refrigerate the broth, chicken and vegetables in covered containers for up to 2 days. Keep the dipping sauce separate.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a pot over medium-low heat until steaming hot throughout (at least 74°C). Avoid boiling hard, which toughens the chicken and tofu.
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Not shown for this recipe because it can’t be estimated reliably (for example, oil absorbed during deep frying varies a lot).
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