Hot Pot Chicken Broth: A Tasty Twist

Hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience where a pot of broth is placed at the centre of the table, surrounded by various uncooked ingredients that each person can add to the broth and cook as they eat. While there are many variations of hot pot, such as Chinese Sichuan hot pot, Japanese shabu-shabu, and Vietnamese lẩu, they all share the same basic concept.

To make chicken broth for hot pot, you will need a few simple ingredients: chicken broth, shiitake mushrooms, daikon radish, green onions, and ginger. You can also add beef or pork bone broth for extra creaminess. These ingredients come together to create a light and healthy broth that serves as the perfect base for your hot pot.

The process of making chicken broth for hot pot is straightforward. Simply combine the ingredients in a pot, boil for 30 minutes, and set the broth aside until you are ready to start your hot pot. It's important to note that you should fill the hot pot with water to about 75% to avoid overflowing when you add your ingredients.

In addition to the broth, the sauce is an essential component of the hot pot experience. A typical hot pot sauce includes satay sauce, soy sauce, cilantro, garlic, and sesame paste, but you can customise it according to your preferences.

With a delicious broth, fresh ingredients, and a customised sauce, you're ready to host your own hot pot party and enjoy a fun and interactive dining experience with your friends and family.

Chicken broth ingredients

Chicken broth is a versatile ingredient that can be used as a base for soups, stews, casseroles, and more. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make a delicious chicken broth using a hot pot:

• Chicken: Start with a whole raw chicken or use any combination of bony chicken pieces such as legs, wings, necks, and/or backbones. You can also include organ meats like the heart and gizzard, but it's best to discard the liver.
• Vegetables: The classic veggie trio for chicken broth is celery, carrots, and onions, also known as mirepoix. This combination adds depth and aroma to your broth. You can also add other vegetables like shiitake mushrooms, scallions, and celery.
• Herbs and Spices: Use herbs like bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns to add subtle flavour to your broth. You can also include spices like star anise, cassia cinnamon, and dried chillies to give it a spicy kick.
• Liquid: Use water or chicken stock as the liquid base for your broth. Starting with cold water will help keep your broth clear and not cloudy.
• Salt: Season your broth with salt to enhance the flavours. However, if you plan to cook other ingredients in the broth, go easy on the salt as the broth will become saltier during the cooking process.

Optional Ingredients:

• Tomatoes: Adding wedges of tomatoes can give your broth a tangy flavour.
• Corn: Cut corn into 2-3 cm thick pieces and include them in your broth for a touch of sweetness.
• Red Dates: Also known as jujubes, these can add a unique flavour to your broth.

Remember, you can adjust the ingredients and their quantities based on your personal preference and the desired intensity of the broth.

Broth preparation

Broth is a simple pleasure and a fun, relaxing activity to do at home. It is also a great way to use up leftover chicken or chicken pieces. You can use a whole raw chicken or chicken pieces, and add simple vegetables and herbs. The longer the broth simmers, the more flavourful it will be.

Firstly, add the chicken to a Dutch oven or large stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce the heat to low and use a spoon to skim the foam from the top of the liquid.

Next, add your vegetables and aromatics. You can use a combination of onion, carrot, celery, and salt. For aromatics, add garlic, ginger, scallions, and spices like star anise, cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Tie the aromatics in a sachet or tea bag to make them easier to remove later, or add them straight to the pot.

Simmer the broth gently for at least 1 hour or up to 5 hours. You can remove the chicken breasts after 1 hour to prevent them from drying out.

Once the broth is done, remove the chicken from the pot and separate the meat from the skin and bones. You can use the cooked chicken in recipes like Chicken Salad or Chicken Soup.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth and place it in a large bowl. Cover and chill the broth in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, scrape off and discard the layer of fat that has formed on top.

Finally, divide the broth into freezer-safe containers, leaving some space for expansion, and label and date them. The broth can be frozen for up to 3 months or refrigerated and used within 4 days.

You can also add extra ingredients to your broth to give it a unique twist. For a spicy kick, add dried chilli peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. For a more subtle flavour, add tomatoes, mushrooms, and celery.

Hot pot equipment

To make a hot pot at home, you will need a pot and a portable stove. If you want to have multiple flavours of broth, a split pot is ideal. A larger pot is recommended, about 4 quarts or more, so you have room to add ingredients. For the portable stove, a cordless gas stove is a good option, as it can be placed anywhere. You will also need a canister of butane fuel to power the stove. Alternatively, an Instant Pot can be used instead of a pot and portable stove. If using an Instant Pot, you may need an extension cord if there is no outlet within reach of your dining table.

Before you start hot potting, you will need to prepare a variety of ingredients. The four main categories of ingredients are broth, protein, carbs, and veggies. For the broth, you can make it from scratch, use a hot pot soup base packet from an Asian grocery store, or purchase broth from a restaurant. If you want to make chicken broth from scratch, you will need chicken, chicken broth, water, and various vegetables and spices.

To cook the hot pot, bring the pot of broth to a boil first on your stovetop so you don't waste gas on the portable stove. Then, add your chosen ingredients to the pot and cook them to your liking.

Hot pot ingredients

Hot pot is a communal dining experience that involves cooking various ingredients in a shared pot of broth. The ingredients used in a hot pot can vary depending on personal preferences, but here is a list of commonly used ingredients:

Meats:

• Beef short ribs
• Fatty beef (brisket or chuck)
• Leg of lamb
• Pork belly

Seafood:

• Manila clams
• Shrimp
• Fish balls
• Salmon sashimi

Vegetables:

• Napa cabbage
• Lettuce
• Enoki mushrooms
• Vermicelli
• Bean sprouts
• Celery
• Corn
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Daikon radish
• Green onions
• Ginger
• Bok Choy
• Watercress
• Wood ear mushrooms
• Lotus roots

Starches:

• Instant ramen
• Rice
• Glass noodles
• Vermicelli noodles
• Tofu
• Dumplings

These ingredients can be cooked in the hot pot broth according to their respective cooking times. It is recommended to start with ingredients that take longer to cook or those that will impart more flavor to the broth.

Hot pot cooking tips

Broth

Hot pot is a fun and social meal that involves cooking raw ingredients in a pot of flavoured broth. There are two types of broth for hot pot: spicy and clear. The spicy version is typically made with beef tallow, dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, aromatics, and spices. The clear version is usually made with chicken or pork bones, aromatics, and vegetables. You can also use a pre-made broth or stock, such as chicken or mushroom broth.

Ingredients

The key to a great hot pot is variety. Include a mix of vegetables, fungi, meat or seafood, and starches. Here are some specific ingredients to consider:

• Leafy greens: baby bok choy, napa cabbage, spinach, pea tips, watercress, chrysanthemum leaves
• Other vegetables: lotus root, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, tomatoes, corn, winter melon
• Mushrooms: enoki, shiitake, king oyster, oyster, shimeji
• Meat: beef, pork, lamb, chicken
• Seafood: shrimp, squid, scallops, fish balls, mixed seafood balls
• Starches: mung bean vermicelli, rice noodles, thin fresh white noodles, frozen dumplings, rice cakes
• Tofu and bean curd: bean threads, soy puffs, frozen tofu, firm tofu, dried bean curd rolls, fresh tofu sheets

Equipment

To make hot pot, you will need the following equipment:

• A portable heat source, such as a butane or electric burner
• A pot, preferably a Chinese stainless steel hot pot with a "`yin-yang' feature for two soup flavours"
• Chopsticks, preferably bamboo or wooden
• Sauce bowls for each person
• Metal hot pot baskets or wire ladles for cooking and retrieving food from the pot

Cooking

When cooking your hot pot, start by bringing the broth to a boil. Then, add whatever takes the longest to cook, such as hardy vegetables or meat, which will also add flavour to the broth. You can then add other ingredients as desired, cooking them according to your preference. Remember to cook meats thoroughly and allow the broth to boil for at least 30 seconds to 1 minute after adding raw meat or seafood.

Frequently asked questions