Steam Boat Cooking: A Beginner's Guide To Perfection

Steamboat, also known as hot pot, is a Chinese cooking process where a simmering pot of soup is placed in the middle of the dining table surrounded by fresh, uncooked ingredients. Guests place the ingredients in the pot to cook them and then eat them with noodles and dipping sauces. The ingredients are usually thinly sliced meats, seafood, vegetables, tofu, and noodles. The soup base is one of the most important components of a steamboat and can be made from scratch or store-bought. The equipment used for steamboat can vary from traditional charcoal-fuelled pots to modern electric appliances.

Choosing a pot: go for a wide diameter and shallow depth so you can see everything cooking

When choosing a pot for your steamboat, it's best to go for a wide diameter and shallow depth. This way, you can see everything cooking and easily keep an eye on what you've added to the pot. A wider pot also makes for a better hot pot experience as you won't have to dig around to find your food. A 28cm-diameter steamboat is ideal for six guests.

You can use a regular pot, or you can get a fancier split pot if you want to offer different soup bases to cater to different spice preferences. A split pot is also useful if you want to cook with someone who likes spicy food and you can't handle the heat!

If you're using an induction stove, make sure your pot has a magnetic base and is compatible with induction stoves, which use magnetic waves to transfer heat. A simple way to check this is to take a fridge magnet and see if it sticks to the bottom of the pot. If it does, your pot will work on an induction stove.

Soup bases: make your own or buy pre-packaged—options include spicy and non-spicy

When preparing a steamboat, you can use either a homemade or store-bought soup base, which can be spicy or non-spicy.

Making Your Own Soup Base

Making your own soup base is not difficult. Here are some options for non-spicy soup bases:

• Miso: Dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of white miso paste into hot boiling water. Add dried seaweed for more aroma.
• Chicken stock: Use chicken broth or water and add pork neck bones or a chicken carcass. You can also add daikon, red/black dates, scallions, and ginger slices.
• Vegetable stock: Use carrots, onions, celery, sweet corn, radish, and potato.
• Pork or beef stock: Ask your butcher for the desired bones and add carrots, onions, celery, and bay leaves.
• Fish stock: Use salmon heads and bones, which you can get from a fishmonger. Add celery, onions, carrots, and ground fried ikan bilis for extra flavour. Add evaporated milk for a fragrant, milky broth.

If you want a spicy soup base, you can add a ready-to-use spicy soup base such as Spicy Sichuan Soup Base or Hai Di Lao Spicy Soup Base. Alternatively, you can make your own by adding dried chillies or extra dried chilli for more heat.

Buying Pre-Packaged Soup Bases

If you prefer the convenience of a pre-packaged soup base, there are many options available. Here are some suggestions:

• Chicken broth: You can find this in a carton at most supermarkets.
• Tonkotsu (pork bone broth): This instant broth can be purchased from NTUC, Big Box (Jurong), and Isetan.
• Laksa paste: Try the Dancing Chef Laksa Paste brand.
• Mala (spicy) hotpot: Hai Di Lao is a well-known brand for this.

Ingredients: thin or slice ingredients so they cook quickly

When preparing ingredients for a steamboat, it's important to ensure they are thin or sliced thinly so they cook quickly in the broth. This is especially important if you want to avoid sitting around the table all night waiting for your food to cook!

Meats such as beef, lamb, and pork should be shaved or thinly sliced. You can buy shaved meats in the frozen section of Asian stores, or slice your own. If slicing your own meats, wrap the meat in cling film and place it in the freezer for about an hour, or until it's firm but not rock hard. Then, use a sharp knife to slice the meat across the grain, using a sawing motion. If the meat gets too soft and hard to slice, put it back in the freezer to firm up again. Chicken breast is a good healthier alternative to shaved meats, which can be quite fatty.

For fish, buy fillets and slice them into smaller, easier-to-cook pieces. White fish, salmon, halibut, tilapia, flounder, sole, and salmon are all good options.

Prawns and scallops are best bought frozen. Crab sticks are another popular ingredient for a steamboat.

For shellfish, you can use mussels, squid, octopus, or clams. Soak the clams in boiling water until they soften, then cut into smaller pieces with kitchen scissors.

Fish balls are a common addition to steamboats, though not to everyone's taste. You can also add beef balls, chicken balls, or cuttlefish balls.

For vegetables, Asian greens such as bok choy, pak choy, gai lan, wombok, and garland chrysanthemum work well. You can also use cabbage and broccolini, but be sure to cut them into small pieces so they cook quickly.

Mushrooms are another good option. Enoki, shiitake, oyster, cremini, and button mushrooms are all suitable.

If you want to add eggs to your steamboat, add them at the very end, as they will make the broth murky. Try not to break the yolk—runny yolk is a nice finale to the meal.

Lastly, you can add firm tofu cut into cubes, corn, carrots, daikon, tomato, and noodles. Long noodles are a symbol of longevity, so avoid cutting them into shorter strands.

Equipment: you'll need a portable stove, either gas or induction

To cook a steamboat, you'll need a portable stove, either a gas stove or an induction stove. If you're using a gas stove, you'll need butane gas canisters. A $20 Kmart camping stove is a good option, but you'll need to buy a new gas canister for each hot pot dinner.

Induction stoves are more expensive upfront, but they're easier to clean and more energy-efficient. For example, the TILLREDA portable induction hob from IKEA costs $59. If you're using an induction stove, you'll need to connect it to a power source, so if your dining table isn't near a power point, you'll need an extension cord.

Make sure you choose a pot that is wide in diameter but shallow in depth so that you can easily see all the ingredients you're cooking. You can use a regular pot, or you can get a split pot if you want to have two different soup bases. If you're using an induction stove, make sure your pot has a magnetic base. You can test this by seeing if a fridge magnet sticks to the bottom of the pot.

Dipping sauces: combine hoisin sauce and sesame oil, or try soy sauce and chilli

Dipping sauces are an essential part of the steamboat experience. Here are two delicious options you can make to accompany your steamboat:

Hoisin Sauce and Sesame Oil

This dipping sauce is quick and easy to make, requiring just a few simple ingredients. Hoisin sauce is the star of this recipe, providing a classic flavour that is enhanced by the addition of toasted sesame oil, which adds a nutty flavour. For a spicier sauce, you can include chilli oil or Sriracha chilli sauce. The sauce can be customised further with the addition of peanut butter, which adds a creamy texture, or garnishes such as crushed peanuts, toasted sesame seeds, or chopped herbs.

To make this sauce, simply mix the hoisin sauce, chilli oil (if using), and toasted sesame oil together in a small bowl. If you're feeling creative, you can also add peanut butter to make it creamier. Adjust the consistency of the sauce by gradually adding water until you achieve your desired thickness. Finally, add your chosen garnishes, and your sauce is ready to serve!

Soy Sauce and Chilli

This dipping sauce is simple to make and extremely versatile. It is perfect for dumplings, potstickers, egg rolls, lettuce wraps, and even cooked meats. To make this sauce, you will need soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, a finely chopped green onion, and hot red pepper flakes (optional). Simply combine all the ingredients and your sauce is ready to enjoy!

Feel free to experiment with different types of chilli and adjust the amount to your taste preference. You can also add a pinch of hot red pepper flakes if you like your sauce extra spicy.

Frequently asked questions