The Ultimate Guide To Cooking Cotton Hot Pot

Hot pot is a fun and social way of cooking and eating with family and friends. It involves a pot of flavoured broth, placed on a burner at the centre of the table, into which raw ingredients are added and cooked. The ingredients can include meat, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and noodles.

There are many types of hot pot, but at its most basic, it is an interactive meal in which diners sit around a simmering pot of soup, adding whatever they like to the boiling liquid. The cooked food is then retrieved with wire ladles and flavoured with individual dipping sauces.

Hot pot is a great way to spend an evening, chatting and eating together. It is a low-stress, fun and interactive meal to share with loved ones.

Prepping the ingredients

Preparing the ingredients for a hot pot is a fun and interactive experience. The ingredients can vary depending on your preferences, but here is a detailed guide to help you get started:

Meat and Seafood:

Select 2-3 options from this category. It is recommended to choose thinly sliced meat for quick cooking. Here are some options:

• Beef (brisket, short rib, ribeye, sirloin, flank steak)
• Lamb (shoulder, leg)
• Pork (shoulder, loin, belly)
• Chicken (boneless breast or thighs)
• Fish fillets (tilapia, bass, flounder)
• Shrimp, squid, or cuttlefish
• Seafood balls (fish, shrimp, mixed seafood)
• Pre-cooked beef, pork, or fish balls

Vegetables:

Choose 1-2 options from this category. Wash and cut the vegetables into manageable pieces. Here are some suggestions:

• Leafy greens (baby bok choy, napa cabbage, spinach, pea tips, watercress)
• Other vegetables (lotus root, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, daikon radish, tomatoes, corn, winter melon)
• Mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, oyster, king oyster, wood ear, shimeji)

Starches:

Select 1-2 options from this category. These are great for soaking up the flavours of the broth. Here are some choices:

• Mung bean vermicelli
• Rice vermicelli
• Thin fresh white noodles
• Fresh spinach noodles
• Shirataki noodles
• Rice cakes
• Frozen dumplings

Tofu and Bean Curd:

Choose 2-3 options from this category. These add variety and texture to your hot pot. Here are some ideas:

• Bean threads (dried bean curd sticks)
• Soy puffs
• Frozen tofu
• Firm tofu
• Dried bean curd rolls
• Fresh tofu sheets/skin
• Fried tofu puffs

Dipping Sauce:

The dipping sauce is a crucial part of the hot pot experience. Here are some must-have ingredients to enhance the flavour of your ingredients:

• Satay sauce
• Soy sauce
• Sesame paste or sauce
• Peanut butter or peanut sauce
• Sichuan peppercorn oil
• Chili garlic sauce/sambal oelek
• Chinese black vinegar/rice vinegar
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Chopped scallions/green onions
• Fried shallots or garlic

Feel free to adjust the quantities and combinations of ingredients based on your preferences and the number of people you are serving. Now you're ready to start cooking your delicious hot pot!

Choosing the broth

Spicy Broth

Spicy broths are typically associated with Sichuan-style hot pot and are characterised by a high content of fat, a strong aroma, and a distinctive mouth-numbing and spicy taste. The key ingredients in a spicy broth include beef tallow or cooking oil, dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, aromatics such as scallions, onion, coriander, garlic, and ginger, and fermented ingredients such as Sichuan chilli bean paste and fermented black beans. This type of broth is perfect for those who enjoy bold, rich flavours and a numbing spice.

Mild Broth

Mild broths, on the other hand, are often referred to as clear broths and are typically made with stock, aromatics, herbs, and sometimes vegetables. They are light and easy to prepare. A simple version can be made with water, scallions, and ginger, while a more flavourful option would use stock made from chicken, pork, beef, mushroom, or tomatoes. This type of broth is ideal for those who prefer a milder, more subtle flavour or want to showcase the natural flavours of the ingredients cooked in the broth.

Customisation

The beauty of hot pot is that you can customise your broth to your taste preferences. You can adjust the spice level by increasing or decreasing the amount of dried chillies and Sichuan pepper. Additionally, you can experiment with different types of dried chillies to find the variety that matches your spice tolerance. You can also add extra aromatics or herbs to enhance the flavour of the broth.

Store-Bought Options

If you don't want to make your broth from scratch, you can purchase store-bought hot pot soup bases or seasoning packets from Asian grocery stores or online. Popular options include the Little Sheep Hot Pot Soup Base for a spicy option, and the Haidilao Broth Flavor Hot Pot Seasoning for a non-spicy choice. These store-bought options can save you time and still provide a delicious broth for your hot pot meal.

Tips

When choosing your broth, consider the ingredients you plan to cook in it. For example, if you want to showcase seafood, a milder broth may be preferable to let the delicate flavours of the seafood shine through. On the other hand, if you're cooking mostly vegetables, a spicy broth can add some excitement to your meal. You can also offer multiple broths to provide a variety of flavours for your guests to choose from.

Cooking times

The cooking times for hot pot vary depending on the ingredients you are using. Here is a list of approximate cooking times for different ingredients:

Meat

• Beef: 10 seconds to 1 minute
• Lamb: 90 seconds to rare, or up to 5 minutes for super tender meat
• Pork: 30 seconds to 2 minutes
• Chicken: 30 seconds to 2 minutes

Seafood

• Shrimp: 1 minute
• Fish fillets: thinly slice and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Squid or cuttlefish: 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Seafood balls: 1 minute

Vegetables

• Leafy greens: a quick dip
• Root vegetables (e.g. potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro): up to 15 minutes
• Pumpkins or squash: 2-3 minutes
• Corn: 2-3 minutes
• Mushrooms: 2-3 minutes

Starches

• Vermicelli: 40 seconds
• Rice noodles: according to package instructions
• Fresh white noodles: 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Frozen dumplings: 5-10 minutes

Tofu & Soy Products

• Fresh tofu: 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Frozen tofu: 2 minutes
• Tofu puffs: 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Soy puffs: 30 seconds to 1 minute
• Bean curd sticks: 20-30 seconds

Please note that these cooking times are approximate and may vary depending on your hot pot setup and personal preferences. Always ensure that meat and seafood are cooked to a safe internal temperature before consuming.

Dipping sauces

While hot pot is a choose-your-own-adventure meal, the dipping sauces are what complete the dish. Here are some ideas for hot pot dipping sauces:

Light Sesame Soy

A simple recipe that is perfect for those who are in the mood for an Asian-inspired dish. Combine sesame oil, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic, and chopped spring onion. To top it off, sprinkle some sesame seeds for a crunchy texture.

Chilli Oil Vinegar Dip

Chilli oil is the star of this recipe, adding a wonderful flavour and kick to the dip. Combine chilli oil, black vinegar, light soy sauce, and chopped spring onion. This dip is perfect for dipping vegetables, meat, and more.

Creamy Dashi Garlic

A creamy and delicious sauce with a garlic kick. Combine peanut butter, minced garlic, and chopped coriander.

Honey Miso Dip

A perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savoury. Combine chopped spring onion and chopped coriander.

Spicy Peanut Dip

A creamy and nutty sauce with a kick of spice. Combine peanut butter, spicy bean paste, and chopped spring onion.

Classic Spicy and Sweet Chilli

A classic combination of spicy and sweet. Combine chilli paste, sweet chilli sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, chilli flakes, and chopped coriander.

Hot and Sour Garlic Sauce

Combine McDonald's garlic chilli sauce, black or rice vinegar, and light soy sauce.

Creamy Garlic Sesame Paste

A unique and tasty sauce that can transform your hotpot experience.

Spicy Garlic Hot Sauce

Add some spice to your hot pot with this garlicky sauce.

Taiwanese Shacha Dipping Sauce

A traditional Taiwanese sauce that is perfect for hot pot. Combine minced garlic, chopped red chilli, chopped green onion, Taiwanese Shacha sauce, and black vinegar.

Equipment

The equipment you will need for a hot pot depends on the type of hot pot you want to make and the number of people you are cooking for.

Burner

The most important piece of equipment for a hot pot is a burner. You will typically come across two types of hot pot burners: butane and electric. Butane burners are cordless, quieter, and can work with non-magnetic pots. They are also cheaper and more intuitive to use. However, you will need to procure butane canisters separately, which can be a hassle to dispose of. Electric burners, on the other hand, are safer, more efficient, and easier to use. They heat up quickly and are easy to clean, but they require a nearby outlet and can be noisy due to the built-in fan.

Pot

The size of the pot depends on the number of people you are cooking for. For a communal hot pot with 6-8 people, a pot with a volume of 3-6 quarts is ideal. You can use a Dutch oven, braiser, wok, or bouillabaisse pot that you may already have in your kitchen. If you want to invest in a specialised pot, you can consider a stainless steel divided hot pot, which allows you to cook with two different broths at once. Donabe earthenware pots are another option that carries centuries of tradition and can boost the flavours of what they cook, but they require special care and seasoning before use.

Utensils

You will need utensils for cooking and retrieving your ingredients. This includes ladles or large spoons, strainers, slotted spoons, and chopsticks. A fine-mesh skimmer is useful for skimming the foam that develops on the broth.

Platters and Bowls

You will need platters for serving raw vegetables, proteins, and other ingredients, as well as bowls or plates for serving frozen items. It is recommended to have separate platters for raw meat or seafood to avoid cross-contamination. You will also need medium bowls and utensils (preferably chopsticks) for each diner, as well as small sauce bowls.

Extras

A kettle of hot water or warm broth is useful to have on hand to top off your pot as the broth evaporates. You may also want to set up a folding TV tray or a rolling cart next to the table for extra space to hold ingredients.

Frequently asked questions