Hot Pot Leftovers: How Long Can You Safely Indulge?

Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating. It's a choose-your-own-adventure meal where you cook raw ingredients in a communal pot of broth at the table. The ingredients are typically meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and noodles.

There are many different types of hot pot, even within China, where the dish originates. There are mind-numbingly spicy hot pots, herbal hot pots, curry hot pots, and soothing plain hot pots.

The key to hot pot is variety. You want a rich and salty moment, a fatty and chewy moment, a fresh and crunchy moment, and a starchy moment to finish.

The beauty of hot pot is that it's up to you. You can't feel lukewarm about it because it doesn't feel lukewarm about you.

Hot pot cooking times for different ingredients

Hot pot is a fun and social way of cooking and eating. It involves cooking various raw ingredients in a pot of flavoured broth, which is kept simmering at the table. The ingredients are cooked for different times, depending on what they are. Here is a list of cooking times for different hot pot ingredients:

Meat

• Beef: 10 seconds to 1 minute
• Lamb: 90 seconds to rare, or up to 90 seconds for super-tender meat
• Pork belly: 10 minutes
• Chicken: 2 minutes

Seafood

• Shrimp: 1 minute
• Manila clams: 30 seconds to 5 minutes
• Oysters, scallops, mussels, squid, sliced fish: cooking times vary

Meatballs

Beef, shrimp, squid, fish, pork: 3-5 minutes

Tofu

• Fried tofu: 1 minute
• Fresh tofu: 1 minute, 30 seconds
• Frozen tofu: 2 minutes

Dumplings

8-9 minutes

Vegetables

• Chinese greens: 40 seconds
• Napa cabbage: 3 minutes
• Chrysanthemum greens: 3-4 minutes
• Yu choy: 30 seconds
• Potato: 10-15 seconds
• Taro: 5 minutes
• Spinach: cooking time varies
• Napa cabbage: cooking time varies
• Bok choy: cooking time varies

Noodles

• Vermicelli: 40 seconds
• Udon: cooking time varies
• Vermicelli: cooking time varies
• Chow mein: cooking time varies
• Yam noodle bundles: cooking time varies

Canton-style hot pot

The broth used in Canton-style hot pot is usually lighter compared to other styles, as the emphasis is on the freshness and quality of the ingredients. The soup base can vary, with options such as congee, coconut chicken, clear water, or Sacha pot.

When preparing a Canton-style hot pot, it is recommended to cook ingredients individually or in small batches to avoid overfilling the pot and making it difficult to manage. The broth starts off light and won't impart much flavour to the ingredients, so it is important to enjoy the dips and sauces. It is also suggested to finish the meal with the broth, as it evolves and builds in flavour as meats, vegetables, and other ingredients are added.

In terms of ingredients, Canton-style hot pot typically includes a variety of meats, seafood, vegetables, noodles, and dumplings. Meats such as beef, pork, and lamb are commonly used, while seafood options can include fish, shrimp, and squid. Vegetables like napa cabbage, watercress, and mushrooms are also popular. Noodles, dumplings, and tofu are additional staples that can be added to the pot.

When cooking Canton-style hot pot, it is important to cook the ingredients gradually and at a pace that matches your eating speed. Different foods have different cooking times, so it is crucial to keep an eye on the pot and adjust the heat as needed.

Overall, Canton-style hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience that allows diners to customise their meal and enjoy a variety of flavours.

Broths for hot pot

Broths are the building blocks of a hot pot meal. There are two main types of hot pot broth: spicy and mild.

Spicy Broth

A spicy broth is typically made with a concentrated, highly flavoursome soup base and water (or stock). The most popular type, known as Hong You Guo Di/红油锅底, comes from Sichuan and Chongqing and has a high content of fat (usually beef tallow but can be cooking oil), a strong, sophisticated aroma, and a distinctive mouth-numbing and spicy taste.

To make the spicy soup base, you will need:

• Beef tallow (or cooking oil)
• Dried chilli peppers & Sichuan pepper
• Other spices such as star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and Chinese black cardamom
• Aromatics such as scallions, onion, coriander, garlic, and ginger
• Sichuan chilli bean paste & fermented black beans
• Shaoxing rice wine & sugar

Mild Broth

A mild hot pot broth, known as Qing Tang Guo Di/清汤锅底 in Chinese, is a general term for a non-spicy broth that typically consists of stock, aromatics, herbs, and sometimes vegetables. It is light and easy to prepare.

To make a mild broth, you can use water, scallions, and ginger, or a more flavourful stock made from pork, beef, chicken, mushroom, or tomatoes.

• Boil a whole chicken (or leg/thigh pieces) in water with sliced ginger. Skim off any froth and simmer for 1.5-2 hours until the water becomes milky.
• Pour the liquid into your hot pot and top up with hot water if needed.
• Add rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, scallions, Chinese dates, and Goji berries (if using). Season with white pepper and salt.

Other Broth Options

If you don't want to make your own broth, you can buy store-bought broth bases in powder or sauce form. Simply add them to water or stock and bring to a simmer. Here are some popular options:

• Fly By Jing Fire Hot Pot Base (spicy)
• Haidilao Hot Pot Seasoning and Soup Base (herbal and clean-tasting)
• Little Sheep Mushroom Soup Base (umami-rich and great with vegetables)

Hot Pot Broth Tips

• If you are serving both spicy and mild broths, use a divided Yin Yang Pot.
• If you are making spicy broth, you can adjust the level of heat by using different varieties of dried chillies.
• You can also make a vegan spicy broth by replacing beef tallow with a neutral-flavoured cooking oil.
• For a light and healthy broth, chicken broth is a good option.
• Shiitake mushrooms add great flavour to any broth.

Hot pot ingredients

Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating. It involves cooking raw ingredients in a simmering pot of flavoured broth placed at the centre of the table. The ingredients you choose for your hot pot are entirely up to you. Here are some ideas for ingredients to include in your hot pot:

Meat

• Beef short ribs
• Presliced fatty beef (usually brisket or chuck)
• Leg of lamb
• Presliced pork belly
• Thinly sliced beef or lamb
• Chicken

Seafood

• Manila clams
• Shrimp
• Salmon
• Fish balls
• Fish tofu

Vegetables

• Napa cabbage
• Chrysanthemum greens
• Yu choy
• Mountain yam
• Taro
• Lotus root
• Celtuce
• Kabocha squash
• Potato
• Green onions
• Bok choy
• Watercress
• Mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, wood ear, oyster, king oyster)

Starches

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

Hot pot equipment

Hot pot is a fun and social way of cooking and eating with friends and family. A variety of raw ingredients are cooked in a simmering pot of soup at the table, with diners choosing what they want to cook and eat.

The equipment needed for hot pot is fairly simple: a burner and a pot. The burner should be portable and able to sit in the centre of the table. It's important not to use charcoal as this will fill the room with carbon monoxide. Electric burners are recommended by some sources, while others suggest either butane or electric.

The pot should be shallow so that the food doesn't get drowned in the soup. A split pot is a good option if you want to have two types of soup, or to keep one side for meat and the other for vegetables. Stainless steel is a popular material for hot pots due to its durability and resistance to rust. Some pots have dual compartments or vented glass lids. Many pots also feature insulated handles and knobs to minimise the risk of burns, as well as rubberised grips for added protection and comfort.

Frequently asked questions