The Art Of Hot Pot Noodles: A Tasty Guide

Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating. It involves cooking a variety of raw ingredients in a simmering pot of broth at the table. The ingredients can include thinly sliced meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, dumplings, and noodles. Each person can cook and eat whatever they like, and in whatever quantity. The cooked food is then dipped into a sauce, which is often customised by each individual.

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

The broths are the building blocks of your hot pot. You can make your own or buy a base and add water or stock. The broths can be spicy, herbal, or clear.

For the spread, you can choose from proteins, seafood, leafy greens, hardy vegetables, mushrooms, accessories, and starches.

Some examples of proteins are beef short ribs, lamb leg, and presliced fatty beef. For seafood, you could have clams or shrimp. Napa cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, and yu choy are great leafy greens. Hardy vegetables include taro, lotus root, and potato. Enoki and beech mushrooms are fun choices for the mushroom category. Accessories include fried bean curd rolls and fish tofu. Finally, for starches, you could have instant ramen, rice, or glass noodles.

To cook the hot pot, bring the broths to a boil, then take them down to a simmer. Start by adding whatever takes the longest to cook, or will impart the most flavour. Then, it's a free-for-all! Cook whatever you want, whenever you want.

Choosing a broth

There are many different types of broth to choose from, and it can be a little overwhelming. Here are some tips to help you decide:

• Spicy broth is one of the most popular choices for hot pot. It is a must-have for almost all hot pot dinners and is particularly popular in China and Chongqing. This broth typically contains a high content of fat, usually beef tallow, and has a strong, sophisticated aroma with a distinctive mouth-numbing and spicy taste.
• If you want to tone down the spice, you can opt for a mild broth. This is a general term for non-spicy broth that typically consists of stock, aromatics, herbs, and sometimes vegetables. It tastes light and is very easy to prepare. Chicken stock is a popular choice for a mild broth, but you can also use pork, beef, mushroom, or tomato stock.
• You can also get creative and experiment with other types of broth, such as tomato, seafood, satay, or even soy milk.
• If you're feeling adventurous, you can try making your own broth from scratch. This allows you to customise the flavour to your liking and know exactly what goes into it. However, it can be time-consuming and require special ingredients, so most people opt for store-bought broth or broth bases.
• If you want to offer a variety of options to your guests, you can use a split pot and serve two types of broth. This is a great way to accommodate different taste preferences and dietary restrictions.

When choosing a broth for your hot pot, consider your guests' preferences and the types of ingredients you plan to use. You can also ask your local Asian grocery store for recommendations or browse online for popular options.

Selecting ingredients

• Meat: Thinly sliced meat is key to a successful hot pot. Look for well-marbled cuts of meat such as beef, pork, chicken, or lamb. Freeze the meat for about 30 minutes before slicing to get the thinnest possible slices. This will ensure that the meat cooks quickly and stays juicy in the hot broth.
• Seafood: Shrimp, squid, scallops, and fish filets are all great options for hot pot. For an extra treat, look for filled fish balls, which are commonly found in the freezer section of Asian grocery stores.
• Tofu and soy bean products: Tofu is a star ingredient in hot pot as it soaks up the flavors of the broth. Include a variety of tofu products such as firm or extra-firm tofu blocks, yuba sheets (tofu skin), deep-fried tofu puffs, and frozen tofu.
• Vegetables: Leafy greens such as napa cabbage, baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, and yu choy are excellent choices. Other vegetables such as Chinese cauliflower, winter melon, bamboo shoots, potatoes, daikon radish, and squash will add texture and variety to your hot pot.
• Mushrooms: Enoki, shimeji, king oyster, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms are all great options. Mushrooms add a savory flavor to the broth and cook quickly.
• Noodles and dumplings: Fresh or dried noodles are a staple in hot pot. Look for hand-pulled noodles or dried noodles such as shirataki. Frozen dumplings are also a popular addition to hot pot.

When shopping for ingredients, it's best to visit an Asian grocery store, as they will have the widest variety of hot pot ingredients. You can also order some ingredients and equipment online if you don't have access to an Asian market. Plan to prepare 4 to 8 ounces of meat and seafood per person, and get 2 to 3 ingredients from each food group.

Preparing the ingredients

Slicing and Chopping:

Firstly, gather your desired ingredients. Wash and chop all the vegetables and herbs. For large leaf and root vegetables, cut them into small pieces. For leafy greens such as spinach, simply separate the leaves. For sturdier vegetables like bok choy and napa cabbage, slicing them into smaller pieces will help them cook faster.

Meat and Seafood:

For meat, select thinly sliced beef, pork, chicken, or lamb. You can buy pre-sliced meat from Asian markets, or slice it yourself. If slicing it yourself, place the meat in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm it up, making it easier to cut thin slices. For seafood, select shrimp, crab, fish, squid, or scallops. Cut the seafood into bite-sized pieces for quick and even cooking.

Tofu:

Tofu is a versatile ingredient for hot pot. You can use blocks of firm or extra-firm tofu, sliced yuba sheets (tofu skin), deep-fried tofu puffs, or frozen tofu. Frozen tofu has a unique porous texture that works great in hot pot. Simply thaw it and slice it before adding to the broth.

Mushrooms:

A variety of mushrooms add a meaty, umami flavor to your hot pot. Choose from enoki, shimeji, king oyster, shiitake, or wood ear mushrooms. Separate the smaller mushrooms into smaller threads or bunches, and slice the larger ones.

Noodles:

Noodles are a staple in hot pot. You can use hand-pulled noodles, fresh noodles, packaged dried noodles, or shirataki noodles. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, and add them to the hot pot broth at the beginning of the meal, as they taste best when served in a clear broth.

Broth:

The broth is the foundation of your hot pot. You can either make your own broth or purchase a hot pot broth base. If making your own, a simple combination of water, scallions, ginger, peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and jujubes will do. If using a store-bought base, combine it with water and heat it until boiling.

Dipping Sauces:

Hot pot is often accompanied by dipping sauces. You can make a simple sauce by combining sesame paste, soy sauce, fermented tofu, garlic, cilantro, and green onions. Alternatively, you can offer a variety of sauces and condiments, such as soy sauce, sesame sauce, Thai peanut sauce, oyster sauce, or chili oil, and let your guests customize their own dipping sauce.

Presentation:

Arrange all the ingredients on separate platters or plates around the hot pot. Group similar ingredients together, such as meats, seafood, vegetables, and noodles. Provide small bowls and plates for your guests, along with chopsticks and a slotted ladle for fishing out the cooked ingredients.

Now that your ingredients are prepared, it's time to start cooking! Remember to wait until the broth is boiling before adding your ingredients, and only add a small amount at a time to ensure quick and even cooking. Enjoy your hot pot feast!

Cooking the noodles

Noodles are a staple in Chinese hot pots and are usually served at the beginning of the hot pot party. This is because the broth gets cloudy after all the cooking. It is more common to serve the noodles in the non-spicy hot pot broth. You can also serve the noodles with hot pot dipping sauce.

If you are using dried noodles, cook them according to the package instructions. If you are using frozen noodles, follow these steps:

• In a medium pot, add oil and bring to low heat.
• Add ginger and garlic and stir until fragrant.
• Add the remaining broth ingredients.
• Bring to a low simmer for 15 minutes.
• In a separate pot, bring water to a boil.
• Blanch your vegetables until they are slightly tender.
• Run the vegetables under cold water to prevent overcooking.
• Set aside.
• Boil the noodles according to the package instructions.
• Divide the noodles into large soup bowls.
• Arrange the vegetables and other toppings atop the noodles.
• While the broth is still very hot, pour it over the noodles and vegetables until they are just covered.

You can also serve the noodles with hot pot dipping sauce. Here is a recipe for a sesame dipping sauce:

Mix toasted sesame paste diluted with water, soy sauce, fermented tofu, fermented garlic chives, sesame oil, chopped cilantro, and green onions.

If you want to serve the noodles with the hot pot broth, follow these steps:

• Place the hot pot broth in a pot on a portable stove.
• Prepare a slotted ladle on the side.
• When the broth is boiling, add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions.
• Serve the noodles immediately.

If you want to add a personal touch to your hot pot party, you can make your own noodles. Here is a recipe for hand-pulled noodles:

• Mix flour and water to form a dough.
• Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
• Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough into a thin sheet.
• Cut the sheet into strips to form the noodles.
• Boil the noodles for a few minutes until they are cooked.
• Serve the noodles immediately.

Serving the hot pot

Now that all the shopping and prep is done, it’s time to serve the hot pot. Place the burner and the pot in the middle of the table. Arrange the ingredients around the table. Have a sauce station – usually, it’s nicer to have the station away from the table since it frees up space.

Place a bowl, plate, chopsticks, and napkin at each setting. Have a couple of plates with tongs and hot pot strainers, and a ladle. It’s nice if you have one hot pot strainer per person, but if you’re good at sharing, you can get away with one between two people.

Don’t forget the drinks! You can go with beer or, if you want those authentic feels, try wine. Wine is crazy popular in China. If you’re doing non-alcoholic, iced green or jasmine teas or suan mei tang (aka cold sour plum tea) are good choices.

Once the table is set, the soup is bubbling in the middle, and you have your own custom sauce made, this is how you do it:

Decide on a couple of pieces of what you want to eat. Most people start with meat, but if you’re feeling dumplings, tofu, or vegetables, you do you!

Use a pair of tongs to gently place your pieces of choice into the pot – go for 3-5 pieces per person.

Once everything is in the pot, the bubbling will subside a bit. Let everything come back up to a simmer. If you’re cooking thinly sliced beef, you can just give it a gentle swish in the bubbling soup until it is cooked to your liking, then pull it out immediately.

Use a scoop to scoop out the pieces you put in and place them in your bowl.

Dip the pieces in your sauce, enjoy, and repeat as needed!

Note: for things like tofu and balls or daikon and potatoes, you can just pop those into the pot and let them hang out while it’s bubbling away. They can just chill out, cook slowly, and soak up flavor while you’re cooking other items.

• Meats – since they’re thinly sliced or cut, it shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds for beef and up to 1-2 minutes for pork, chicken, and lamb.
• Seafood – seafood cooks quickly in general, 1-2 minutes should do it.
• Vegetables – leafy greens can take a quick dip, things like potatoes will take until they’re tender, up to 15 minutes.
• Dumplings – cook these according to package directions.
• Balls – these usually come fully cooked, but give them up to 5 minutes at a boil to make sure they’re heated through.
• Noodles – cook these according to package directions.
• Tofu – this can go in as long as little as you like.

It’s easier if you don’t add everything at once, just add in a few pieces at a time, the ones you want to eat. This keeps the soup bubbling and the food fresh so you don’t find a random piece of leathery beef that’s been in the pot for hours.

Be sure to use a separate pair of chopsticks for cooking and serving to prevent food-related illness.

Frequently asked questions