The Art Of Hot Pot Rolls: A Step-By-Step Guide To Perfecting This Delicious Dish

Hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience with roots in Chinese cuisine. It involves diners gathering around a pot of broth, adding and cooking various raw ingredients, and eating together.

To cook hot pot at home, you'll need a pot, a portable stove, and an assortment of ingredients. The pot should be shallow and wide, and a split pot with a divider allows for multiple broth flavours. For the stove, a gas or induction burner is ideal, placed in the centre of the table.

For ingredients, the sky's the limit, but typically, hot pot includes thinly sliced meats (beef, lamb, pork), seafood (fish, shrimp, squid), vegetables (cabbage, mushrooms, potatoes), tofu, dumplings, and noodles.

To prepare, wash and cut the vegetables, arrange the ingredients on platters, and make a dipping sauce. Bring the broth to a boil, then add and cook the ingredients in the hot pot, dipping them in the sauce before eating.

Hot pot is a social and customizable meal, perfect for gatherings where everyone can cook and eat together.

Choosing your broth

When choosing your broth, consider the preferences of your guests. Having two types of broth is a good idea, as it caters to different tastes and spice tolerances. You can choose one spicy broth and one mild broth, or you can have two broths with different flavours that complement each other. For example, a spicy Mala beef broth and an herbal mushroom broth. You can also customise your broth by adding extra ingredients like goji berries, jujubes, or a mix of herbs.

If you don't want to make your own broth from scratch, you can purchase ready-made hot pot soup bases from Asian shops or use packaged broth mixes. These can be a convenient option, but making your own broth allows you to control the ingredients and customise the flavour to your liking.

Selecting your ingredients

Meats:

Thinly sliced meats are best for hot pot as they cook quickly. Beef, lamb, pork, and chicken are popular choices. Look for fatty cuts such as brisket or ribeye for beef, and pork belly or shoulder for pork. If you can't find pre-sliced meats, freeze the meat slightly and then thinly slice it yourself using a sharp knife.

Seafood:

Seafood is a common addition to hot pot. This can include whole shrimp, thinly sliced fish fillets, squid, scallops, mussels, clams, and crab. Frozen seafood medley packs are a convenient option.

Vegetables:

While traditional Chinese hot pot may be light on vegetables, feel free to include a variety of veggies in your hot pot. Asian vegetables such as napa cabbage, bok choy, chrysanthemum greens, yu choy, and lotus root are great choices. Other options include potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin or kabocha squash, tomatoes, corn, and broccoli. Cut the vegetables into small, bite-sized pieces to ensure quick cooking.

Tofu and Soy Products:

Tofu is a must-have for hot pot as it soaks up all the flavours of the broth. Include a variety of tofu products such as firm tofu, frozen tofu, dried bean curd sticks, soy puffs, and tofu sheets.

Dumplings and Meatballs:

Frozen dumplings are a great addition to hot pot. Look for fully cooked dumplings to avoid undercooked fillings. Vietnamese meatballs are also a tasty option.

Noodles and Starches:

Noodles are the carb of choice for hot pot. Udon, mung bean noodles, shirataki noodles, rice noodles, and fresh spinach noodles are excellent choices. Thin, small noodles are best as they cook quickly and won't add too much starch to the broth.

Preparing your ingredients

Meat

Thinly sliced meat is best for hot pot, as it cooks quickly. Beef, lamb, pork, and chicken are all good options. You can buy pre-sliced meat from an Asian grocery store, or slice it yourself. If you're slicing it yourself, place the meat in the freezer for 20-30 minutes beforehand to make it easier.

Seafood

Seafood is a common addition to hot pot. Shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels, clams, lobster, and fish fillets are all good choices. You can also get pre-made fish or seafood balls, which are especially popular.

Vegetables

Wash and cut your vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Good options include Napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, Yukon gold potatoes, daikon, corn cobs, kabocha squash, and leafy greens like spinach.

Tofu

Tofu is a must-have for hot pot, as it soaks up all the flavors of the broth. Look for tofu puffs, firm tofu, frozen tofu, dried bean curd rolls, and fresh tofu sheets/skin.

Noodles

Noodles are the carb of choice for hot pot. Udon, ramen, mung bean vermicelli, rice noodles, spinach noodles, and shirataki noodles are all good options. Soak the noodles in hot water for 30 seconds before adding them to the pot.

Broth

You can make your own broth from scratch, but it's also common to use a store-bought hot pot soup base. If you're making your own, a simple option is to use chicken soup with goji berries, ginger, and scallions.

Dipping Sauce

Hot pot is often served with a customizable dipping sauce. Provide a variety of condiments and seasonings, such as Chinese BBQ sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, chili crisp, salt, white sugar, chopped garlic, chopped ginger, chopped scallions, and cilantro leaves.

Other Equipment

In addition to your ingredients, you'll need a pot, a portable stove, chopsticks, and small strainers or ladles for scooping food out of the broth.

Cooking your hot pot rolls

Hot pot is a fun and interactive way to cook and eat with your friends and family. It is a great way to spend an evening, and the preparation is simple. Here is a step-by-step guide to cooking your hot pot rolls.

Choose your equipment

You will need a pot and a portable stove. If you want to have multiple flavours of broth, invest in a split pot. A regular pot will work if you are using just one flavour. A larger pot is better, about 4 quarts or more, so you have room for all your ingredients. For the stove, a gas stove or induction cooker is a good option. You will also need chopsticks, bowls, sauce dishes, and a ladle for each person.

Choose your broth

You can make your broth from scratch, use a store-bought soup base, or even buy broth from your favourite restaurant. If you are making your own, a simple option is to use chicken soup with goji berries, ginger, and scallions. You can also add in chicken broth for more depth, water, yellow onion, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Then add in your chosen soup base flavour.

Choose your ingredients

The beauty of hot pot is that you can choose whatever ingredients you like. The key is to have a variety of proteins, carbohydrates, and vegetables. Here are some options:

• Proteins: thinly sliced beef, lamb, pork, chicken, or fish. You can also use pre-cooked beef, pork, or fish balls.
• Carbohydrates: noodles (udon, shirataki, rice noodles), rice cakes, or dumplings.
• Vegetables: leafy greens (baby bok choy, spinach, napa cabbage), root vegetables (potato, sweet potato, daikon), mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, oyster), or corn.

Prepare your ingredients

Wash and cut your vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Peel potatoes and cut tough mushroom stems. Remove everything from its packaging and arrange on platters, keeping proteins frozen. Cut fish fillets into small chunks and marinate with a light seasoning of salt, sugar, cornstarch, and neutral oil.

Make your dipping sauce

Hot pot is all about customisation, so provide a variety of sauces and condiments for your guests to mix and match. Some options include: soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Chinese BBQ sauce, chili oil, chili crisp, salt, white sugar, chopped garlic, ginger, scallions, and cilantro.

Cook and enjoy!

Bring your broth to a rolling boil and add ingredients to the pot, little by little. Start with the items that take the longest to cook, like root vegetables. Take the meat out of the freezer about 5-10 minutes beforehand to separate the pieces. Dip each piece into the broth until cooked, being careful not to overcook. As your ingredients are finished cooking, dip them in your sauce and enjoy!

Finish with a noodle soup

Once you have eaten most of your meats and vegetables, finish off with a noodle soup. Cook your chosen noodles in the broth and add some more meats and vegetables. Ladle the sweet and savoury broth into your bowl and drizzle with your sauce. Enjoy!

Making a dipping sauce

Basic Ingredients:

Start with a base of your choice, such as Chinese sesame paste, peanut butter, soy sauce, or Sha Cha (Chinese BBQ sauce). These provide a nice foundation for your sauce and offer a range of flavors to choose from.

Additional Flavorings:

From here, you can add various ingredients to enhance the flavor and make it your own. Here are some popular options:

• Oyster sauce
• Sesame oil
• Chili oil or chili garlic sauce
• Chinese black vinegar or rice vinegar
• Minced garlic
• Chopped scallions/green onions
• Cilantro
• Sichuan peppercorn oil or powder
• Fried shallots or garlic
• Toasted sesame seeds

Pro Tips:

• When using Chinese sesame paste, it's important to dilute it with water or hot pot broth to create a runny sauce. Add the liquid gradually and whisk continuously to achieve the desired consistency.
• If you can't find Chinese sesame paste, you can use unsweetened natural peanut butter or tahini as a substitute.
• Feel free to experiment with different combinations of ingredients and adjust the quantities to suit your taste.
• For a spicy kick, add crushed chili peppers or chili flakes.
• For a tangy twist, consider using lemon juice instead of vinegar.

Ready-Made Options:

If you don't want to make your own sauce, there are plenty of ready-made dipping sauces available for purchase. However, it is recommended that you have some sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh garlic, and cilantro on hand to enhance the flavor and make the sauces less strong.

Popular Combinations:

• Sesame sauce: Mix pure sesame paste, peanut butter or satay, pickled tofu, leek flower sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water or broth.
• Chili and garlic sauce: Combine chili and garlic sauce with sesame oil, soy sauce, fresh garlic, and cilantro to taste.
• Laoganma Spicy Chili Oil: Mix with soy sauce and sesame oil to make it less strong.
• Haidilao and Wangzhihe brands: These offer ready-made sesame sauces that you can enhance with additional sesame oil.
• Japanese-style shabu-shabu sesame sauce: Try the Mizkan brand for a different flavor profile.

Remember, there are no rules when it comes to creating your hot pot dipping sauce. Get creative, experiment with different ingredients, and have fun!

Frequently asked questions