Tom Yum Hot Pot Sensations: A Culinary Journey To Thailand's Signature Dish

Thai-style tom yum hot pot is a great dish for entertaining a group of people. It's a communal meal where guests cook their own food by dipping bite-sized or thinly sliced vegetables, meats, and seafood into a simmering pot of broth. The ingredients cook quickly, and as the meal goes on, the broth intensifies in flavour.

To make the broth, you'll need to prepare a soup base with ingredients like chicken broth, lemongrass, lime leaves, and Tom Yum paste. You can also add in vegetables like corn, cabbage, and mushrooms, as well as meats such as beef, chicken, or pork. The key to a delicious tom yum hot pot is in the broth, so make sure to take your time to prepare and combine the ingredients to your taste.

Choosing a hot pot and burner

When choosing a hot pot and burner, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, do you want a separate burner and pot or an all-in-one unit? All-in-one units are simpler and often cheaper, but they are less multifunctional and can be harder to wash. Separate burners and pots offer more versatility as you can use any pot or pan you like, including ones you already own.

If you opt for a separate burner, the two most popular options are a portable butane stove or a portable induction cooktop. Butane burners are cordless, quieter, and work with non-magnetic pots, but you will need to procure and dispose of butane canisters. Induction burners, on the other hand, are electric, safer, and more efficient, but they require magnetic pots with completely flat bottoms and access to a nearby outlet.

When choosing a hot pot, consider the number of people you will be serving and the type of broths you want to use. Hot pots come in various sizes, typically ranging from 3 to 6 quarts, and some even have dividers to accommodate two different broths. If you are serving a large group, you may need a larger pot or even two pots and two burners.

For the material, hot pots are usually made of aluminum or stainless steel and may have a nonstick coating. Aluminum is cheaper and lighter, but stainless steel transmits and holds heat better. Nonstick coatings are easier to clean but can be scratched and may not be compatible with metal utensils.

Lastly, consider any additional features or accessories that may be useful, such as temperature control settings, steaming racks, or strainer baskets.

Preparing the broth

Ingredients

Firstly, gather your ingredients. For a flavourful broth, you will need garlic, shallots, galangal (or ginger) , lemon, chilli, tomatoes, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, chicken broth, and Tom Yum paste. You can also add fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar to taste.

Sautéing

In a pan, start by sautéing the garlic and shallots for about a minute. Then, add the rest of the ingredients, including the tomato, galangal or ginger, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Sauté these ingredients for 2-3 minutes until they are slightly softened.

Adding Liquid

Next, pour in the chicken broth and Tom Yum paste. Stir well to combine, and let the broth come to a boil. Tom Yum paste is a flavourful mixture of fish sauce, sugar, galangal, chilli, lime leaves, and lemongrass. It forms the base of your hot pot and can be made from scratch or store-bought.

Seasoning

Once the broth is boiling, add your seasonings. This includes a tablespoon of fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chicken seasoning. You can also add slices of chilli for an extra kick of heat. Remember to taste as you go and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

Simmering

Let the broth simmer for about 3 minutes to allow the flavours to meld. Then, turn off the stove and transfer the broth to your hot pot. Only fill the hot pot halfway as the broth will rise as you add your vegetables and seafood later.

Serving

Place the hot pot in the centre of your table, and you're ready to start cooking! Remember to re-boil the broth before adding your seafood and vegetables. Enjoy the interactive and communal experience of Thai-style tom yum hot pot!

Sourcing ingredients

To make a Tom Yum hot pot, you will need to source ingredients for the soup base, the hot pot, and the dipping sauce.

Soup Base Ingredients

Tom Yum soup bases typically include:

• Lemongrass
• Fish sauce
• Thai chilli paste
• Ginger or galangal
• Lime leaves
• Shallots
• Red chillies
• Lime juice
• Sugar
• Cilantro

Hot Pot Ingredients

For the hot pot, you will need:

• Corn
• Cabbage leaves
• Asian mushrooms (shiitake, oyster, shimeji, white button, white beech, king trumpet, or enoki)
• Tofu
• Meat (beef, chicken, pork, or lamb)
• Seafood (prawns, squid, cuttlefish, calamari, mussels, shrimp, fish, crab, or lobster)
• Meat or seafood balls
• Starchy vegetables (pumpkin, corn, or kabocha squash)
• Leafy vegetables (napa cabbage or chrysanthemum greens)
• Green onions/scallions
• Noodles (vermicelli, glass, egg, or rice noodles) or rice

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

For the dipping sauce, you will need:

• Bird's eye chilli
• Roasted sesame seeds
• Hoisin sauce
• Chilli oil
• Soy sauce
• Sesame oil
• Garlic
• Green onions/scallions

Cooking the hot pot

To cook a Thai-style Tom Yum hot pot, you'll need a hot pot and a hot plate, a pan for making broth, a soup ladle, strainers and dishes in different sizes, and chopsticks and soup spoons.

First, prepare your dippers and toppings. This could include sliced crab sticks, curled squid chunks, mussels, mushrooms, noodles or rice, and tofu. You can also prepare some herbs and spices such as garlic cloves, shallots, galangal, Kaffir lime leaves, tomatoes, lemongrass, Thai chili, Thai basil, Tom Yum paste, fish sauce, chicken seasoning, fresh lime juice, and sugar.

Next, prepare the broth by mincing and sauteing garlic and shallots, then adding in other ingredients like tomato, galangal, lemongrass, and lime leaves. Saute these for a few minutes until slightly softened, then add in the chicken broth and Tom Yum paste. Stir well and add in other seasonings like fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chicken seasoning. Let the broth boil for a few minutes before turning off the stove and transferring it to the hot pot.

Place the hot pot in the center of the table and re-boil the broth. Prepare and arrange your other ingredients around the hot pot, then add a little of each ingredient to the pot and cover with a lid to cook. You can adjust the heat as needed and use utensils to avoid cross-contamination.

Finally, leave out the ingredients for a dipping sauce so guests can make their own. A simple sauce can be made with hoisin sauce and chili oil, or soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, green onions, and chili peppers.

Noodles or rice are typically eaten at the end, dipped directly into the hot pot to absorb the now very flavorful broth.

Making a dipping sauce

If you want to make a soy dipping sauce, you can combine soy sauce, sesame oil, freshly chopped garlic, thinly sliced green onions, and chilli peppers to taste.

For a more complex sauce, you could try a nutty, aromatic sauce made with toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and ginger. This sauce pairs well with beef and leafy greens.

For spice lovers, a Sichuan-style mala sauce made with chilli oil, Sichuan peppercorns, garlic, and fragrant spices will add a kick to your hot pot.

If you're looking for a citrusy option, ponzu sauce is made with soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and yuzu. This sauce pairs well with shrimp or pork tempura.

For a simple, flavourful option, combine minced garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce, freshly squeezed lemon, sugar, and cilantro. This sauce is especially good with blanched vegetables.

Finally, a classic Chinese peanut sauce made with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and garlic is always a delicious option.

Frequently asked questions