This recipe for a kimchi seafood pot keeps Esther Choi’s mom coming back for more

Like my recipes for Kimchi Bolognese and Kimchi Mac and Beef, this dish from my cookbook “Hand Taste: Cook Like a Korean Grandmother” is part of my Korean Italian American repertoire.

And out of them all, this Kimchi Seafood Pot is my mom’s favorite. I made it for her once just for fun, and now she asks me to make it all the time. It’s all about seafood in tomato sauce punched up with kimchi and fish sauce, like a Korean cioppino.

Tomato passata is essentially tomato puree. If you’re shopping for canned tomato products and see a 24-ounce jar of tomato passata, that’s perfect. I prefer it over chunky canned tomatoes for this recipe because the silky-smooth tomato texture is better for coating the seafood. If all you have is canned tomatoes, puree them in the blender first.

The specific seafood is less important than using the highest quality you can find. If the best thing in your area is clams and shrimp, and scallops are insanely expensive, go with those two and use more of them to make up the difference. Or use calamari or pieces of white fish fillets in place of the scallops, adding them at the end so they don’t overcook. I love serving this with torn pieces of crusty bread for dipping directly into the pot, though I have also served it happily with pasta or rice.

SEAFOOD:

2 pounds mussels

1 pound cockles (or clams) or more mussels

All-purpose flour

Kosher salt

8 ounces jumbo or large shrimp (about 8)

8 ounces bay or sea scallops

SAUCE:

Vegetable oil

½ cup finely diced carrot

½ cup finely diced shallots

½ cup finely diced celery

1½ tablespoons minced garlic

2 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced crosswise

¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

1 teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup chopped kimchi

1 tablespoon gochujang

½ cup white wine

3 cups (24 ounces) tomato passata (see headnote)

1 tablespoon fish sauce

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

TO SERVE:

1 lemon

1 loaf good crusty bread

Prep the seafood: If attached, pull the beards (the hairy bits near the joint) off the mussels. Scrub each well and drain, discarding any mussels that aren’t firmly closed. Put the mussels in a bowl, cover with a cool, damp kitchen towel and refrigerate.

Put the cockles in a bowl with a pinch of flour and pinch of salt. Cover with cold water and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing the rest of the seafood. Drain the cockles, discarding any sand and grit at the bottom of the bowl and discard any that aren’t firmly closed. Cover the bowl with a cool, damp kitchen towel and refrigerate.

For each shrimp, cut along the backbone and devein, leaving the shell and tails attached (though if you don’t like peeling shrimp as you eat, remove the shell). For each scallop, peel off the small piece of muscle, if attached. If using scallops that are very large (like some sea scallops), halve them first so they cook evenly in the center at the same time as the shrimp.

Make the sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, shallots, and celery and cook, lowering the heat to medium if needed to prevent scorching and stirring often, until the shallots begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, scallion whites, and parsley and cook until very fragrant, about 1 more minute. Stir in the salt and kimchi and cook until the kimchi begins to soften, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the gochujang, ensuring it is evenly dispersed, then pour in the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the wine reduce by half. Stir in the tomato passata, fish sauce and red pepper flakes.

Cook the seafood: Stir the mussels and cockles into the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook until the mussels and cockles have opened up, about 5 minutes; discard any that have not opened up. Stir in the shrimp and scallops, then cook uncovered, stirring often, until the rest of the seafood is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

To serve: Using a Microplane rasp, grate the zest of the lemon into the pot. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half into the pot. Stir, then taste and add more lemon juice if you want. Garnish with the scallion greens and some parsley and serve immediately with crusty bread. This recipe is best as soon as it’s made.

Esther Choi is a chef, entrepreneur and TV personality. She is the author of “Hand Taste,” and owner of Mokbar (with locations ranging from New York City to Las Vegas) and Ms. Yoo, a Korean-style gastropub in Manhattan. Choi is the co-host of the Food Network’s “24 in 24” and the host of “Heat Eaters,” by “First We Feast.” Choi has been a finalist on “Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend.” She lives in New York City with her husband and son.

Excerpted from “Hand Taste” byEsther Choi. Copyright (copyright) 2026 by Esther Choi. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company, New York, NY. All rights reserved.