Quart In Asian Hot Pot: A Culinary Adventure

Hot pot is a fun and social meal, where a pot of broth simmers at the centre of the table, and guests cook their own raw ingredients in the soup. It's a great way to bring people together, and is a popular dish in China and other parts of Asia.

Hot pot is highly versatile, with a wide range of ingredients that can be used. Typically, guests can choose from thinly sliced meats, seafood, tofu, dumplings, vegetables and noodles. These are cooked in the broth and then dipped in a variety of sauces.

The broth itself can also vary, with spicy, sour, sweet and light broths all being popular options.

Choosing your broth

Buy or Make Your Own?

Although making your own broth from scratch is an option, it is highly recommended that you purchase a hot pot broth base instead. This is because making your own broth can require many special ingredients that may be expensive or difficult to find. A hot pot party is supposed to be easy and fun, so save yourself the trouble and buy a pre-made broth base from an Asian store or online.

Spicy or Mild?

One of the most popular broths across China is the spicy broth, which is a must-have for most hot pot dinners. There are a few types of spicy hot pot base to choose from, including Sichuan, Chongqing, and Mongolian styles. The Sichuan and Mongolian styles might be the most popular, but the Chongqing style features a thicker and richer broth. If you want something less spicy, you can opt for a clear broth, which is the default type in northern China. This broth is usually made with simple ingredients such as water, scallions, ginger, peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and jujubes.

Using a Split Pot

If you want to offer your guests more variety, you can use a split pot, which allows you to serve two types of broth at the same time. This is a great option if you have guests with different spice tolerances or dietary preferences. You can use a spicy broth on one side and a mild broth on the other.

Homemade Hot Pot Broth

If you're feeling adventurous and want to make your own hot pot broth from scratch, here are some recipes to try:

Spicy Hot Pot Broth

This broth is made with a concentrated, highly flavourful soup base and water (or stock). The key ingredient is beef tallow, which gives the broth a rich and aromatic flavour. Other ingredients include dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, aromatics such as scallions and garlic, and fermented ingredients like Sichuan chilli bean paste and black beans for added umami.

Mild Hot Pot Broth

For a milder option, you can make a chicken stock-based broth. Simply boil a whole chicken or chicken pieces in water with some sliced ginger, then add rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, scallions, Chinese dates, and Goji berries for extra flavour. This broth is light yet flavourful, and you can even drink some of it before adding any ingredients.

Tips for a Successful Hot Pot Party

• Be sure to have enough broth to fill your pot. Most hot pot bases should be diluted with 6 to 8 cups of water.
• During the cooking process, the broth will reduce, so be sure to add more hot water when it gets too low.
• Only cook ingredients when the broth is boiling to ensure proper cooking.
• Provide a slotted ladle for your guests to easily fish out their cooked food from the hot pot.
• Offer a variety of dipping sauces, such as sesame paste-based sauce, Shacha sauce for seafood, or a garlic and sesame oil sauce.

Selecting your meats

The beauty of hot pot is that you can choose your own adventure. You can pick and choose your favourite meats, seafood, and vegetables, and cook them in a flavourful broth.

When it comes to meat, you can cook any kind of meat in hot pot, as long as it is sliced thinly. Typically, thinly sliced beef, pork, and chicken are very popular. Here are some specific cuts to look out for:

• Ribeye
• Pork belly
• Pork jowl
• Lamb shoulder
• Pork shoulder

If you can't find pre-sliced meats, you can always thinly slice them yourself. Choose pieces of meat that are heavily marbled and pop them in the freezer for about 30 minutes – it should feel slightly firm, but still yield. Then, take it out and slice it as thinly as possible.

If you're feeling extra fancy, you can also DIY some meatballs. Cuts of beef that would normally be disposed of can be pounded until the fibres break down and moisture is released. This turns it into a paste, which can then be shaped into balls. They will be bouncy, meaty, and so fun to eat.

When cooking your meats, remember that thinly sliced meat usually needs less than 30 seconds to cook through. What I usually do is hold the meat with my chopsticks and dip it in the hot broth, then immediately take it out when the colour has just changed to cooked (or medium-rare, sometimes).

Preparing your veggies

• Greens: spinach, baby bok choy, morning glory, kale, watercress, tatsoi, and chopped Napa cabbage.
• Mushrooms: oyster, brown, enoki, and shiitake mushrooms.
• Onions: green onion, sliced red or sweet yellow onions.
• Bell peppers or spicy peppers.
• Baby corn.
• Garnishes: Thai basil, cilantro, and mint.

Once you've selected your veggies, simply wash and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Leafy greens like spinach and kale can be left whole, while larger leaves like napa cabbage should be cut into smaller pieces.

If you're using root vegetables like potatoes or sweet potatoes, cut them into thin slices or chunks so they cook faster.

Some vegetables, like broccoli and cauliflower, can be added to the hot pot and cooked until tender. Others, like leafy greens, only need to be cooked for a short time—around 30 seconds to a minute—so keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking.

Now you're ready to add your veggies to the hot pot and enjoy!

Picking your noodles

Noodles are a must-have for hot pot, adding delicious texture and flavour to the dish. But with so many types of noodles available, how do you choose the right one?

First, consider the type of broth you are using. If you're using a lighter broth, choose thinner noodles like vermicelli or glass noodles. For a heartier broth, thicker noodles like udon or wheat noodles may be a better option.

Next, think about the texture. If you want a softer noodle that contrasts with the crunchy vegetables and meat in your hot pot, go for rice or glass noodles. For a chewier texture, opt for wheat noodles or udon.

Don't forget about flavour! Some noodles, like soba or buckwheat noodles, have a distinct nutty flavour. Rice noodles, on the other hand, are more neutral and can take on the flavours of the broth and other ingredients.

• Glass noodles, also known as cellophane or bean thread noodles, are made from mung bean starch and become translucent when cooked. They have a slightly chewy texture and are excellent for hot pots as they absorb the broth's flavour well.
• Udon noodles are thick, chewy, and slightly sweet Japanese noodles made from wheat flour. They hold up well in the broth and have a satisfying texture, making them a popular choice.
• Rice noodles, or vermicelli noodles, are thin and translucent noodles made from rice flour. They are a great gluten-free option and have a delicate texture that pairs well with the broth.
• Ramen noodles are thin, curly Japanese noodles made from wheat flour. They are a popular choice as they have a great texture and absorb the broth's flavour.
• Soba noodles are thin buckwheat noodles with a nutty flavour and a slightly chewy texture that pairs well with hot pot broth.

When preparing noodles for hot pot, most types need to be boiled in water first. Follow the instructions on the package for the best results. Adding a tablespoon of oil to the boiling water will prevent the noodles from sticking together. After cooking, rinse the noodles with cold water to stop the cooking process and remove any excess starch.

When serving the hot pot, add the noodles to the pot and cook for a few minutes so they can absorb the broth's flavours. Cutting the noodles into smaller pieces beforehand will make it easier to eat with chopsticks or a spoon.

Making your dipping sauce

That being said, there are some common combinations of dipping sauces in China that many people love, but there is one big difference in what is preferred in the south of China and what is preferred in the northern parts of China, and the keyword is sesame paste.

Sesame paste or Zhīmajiàng (芝麻酱) is a dipping sauce that any respectable hotpot restaurant in Beijing will definitely have. In southern cities, however, it is not common at all. The reason so many people love to have sesame sauce with their hotpot is that it balances out the salty and spicy hotpot broth with its mild and sweet flavor. It also suits many different styles of hotpot.

You can make the popular sesame sauce yourself. However, it does require some skill and a lot of ingredients, as it requires you to properly mix ingredients such as pure sesame paste, peanut butter or satay, pickled tofu, leek flower sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water or broth.

• Crushed chili, dark soy sauce, vinegar, and coriander
• Sesame oil, scallions, garlic, chili oil, and vinegar
• Oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy, garlic, scallions, and sesame seeds
• Worcester sauce, sesame oil, crushed peanuts, and BBQ sauce

As long as you have some of the basic ingredients at home, you can pretty much do anything you like. A quick and easy one simply mixes soy sauce with a bit of sesame oil and some chili oil or chili flakes.

Taiwanese Shacha Dipping Sauce

• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 0.5-1 tbsp of chopped red chili (optional)
• 2-3 tbsp of chopped green onion
• 1.5 tbsp of Taiwanese Shacha sauce
• 2 tbsp of black vinegar

Garlic Sesame Sauce

• 1.5 tbsp of sesame paste
• 1 tsp of dashi powder
• 2.5 tbsp of black vinegar
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic

Spicy Garlic Hot Sauce

• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 0.5-1 tbsp of chopped red chili
• 1 tbsp of green onion
• 1/3 tsp of Korean red chili flakes
• 1/4 tsp of ground Sichuan pepper
• 0.5 tbsp of sesame seeds
• 1.5 tbsp of black vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp of oyster sauce

Frequently asked questions