This story is part of On Repeat, a series in which we ask top chefs, cookbook authors, and other famous foodies about the dishes they just can’t quit.
For this week’s installment of On Repeat, we chatted with knifemaker Chelsea Miller about a dish she says is as restorative as it is delicious. The recipe, for Hong Kong–style clay pot rice, features a fortifying mixture of mushrooms, tofu, and bok choy pulled together with a simple, savory sauce. “When I think, ‘What do I want to cook tonight?’ I find I crave it more than anything else,” she says.
Why I love it
“It’s not something you’re going to make to impress anybody; it’s just very grounding. I usually make it as kind of a midweek reset. And I’m often still craving it the next morning, and usually there’s one portion left that’s perfect for breakfast. I love that it’s a really healthy option, and you can modify it a lot. You don’t need anything else to go with it—it’s not something that needs a side salad or wine. Maybe some tea. It feels like this is enough.”
What I’ve changed
“I actually don’t have a clay pot, so I make it in a Dutch oven. I also often make modifications that cut out some of the sugar. Instead of oyster sauce (which is sweet), I use Sichuan stir-fry sauce. It’s so delicious and it adds more spice—and sometimes I throw in a red chile too.
“The recipe recommends smoked firm tofu or five-spice tofu. I rarely see that, so what I like to do is once I’ve pressed and sliced the tofu I season it with five-spice powder. It’s so warm and has so much depth of flavor. And I like to use as many varieties of mushrooms as I can find. It also calls for long-grain rice, but I just use whatever I have in the pantry. So last time I made it, it was with short-grain brown rice. One thing I have to be aware of—because I’ve made this mistake—is to adjust the amount of water depending on the type of rice I’m using.”
What else I’m into right now
Mindful gardening. I’m being more mindful about what I’m planting in my garden this year. I keep thinking about what I used the most in previous years; what I haven’t used or can’t keep up with. I think about what I usually buy in the market week to week: Can I plant those things myself to cut down on buying them?
Convenient composting. There’s a company I really love called Groundcycle. They work with companies and individuals to do compost pickup in New York. They give you a 5-gallon bucket and they’ll come and pick it up once a week. And they’ll drop off a bag of produce that they’ve gotten from organic farms.
Multitasking kitchen tools. Something that’s so important to me as someone who makes culinary items is being connected to one’s kitchen tools—and the versatility of things in your kitchen. Having things that are more multifunctional, things that are aesthetically pleasing so you want to keep them as long as possible, that won’t become another thing that ends up in the landfill in a year. An example would be my own knife, which you can use as a knife and a zester.