Tying The Knot: The Art Of Eating Tie Hot Pot

Hot pot is an interactive and customisable meal, less of a dish than an experience. It encapsulates the communal dining ethos that is now popular in Western restaurants. Diners cook an array of ingredients—thinly sliced meats, mushrooms, shrimp, Chinese lettuces, fresh noodles, and more—in a single pot of seasoned broth heated on the table. Once cooked, the food is dipped in a sauce of choice and eaten.

Hot pot is thought to have originated in East Asia thousands of years ago, introduced by the Mongolian Empire. It was a simple broth served with horse meat and mutton, cooked and served in the helmets of Mongolian soldiers. As its cultural influence spread, hot pot took on new forms in Northern China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam.

There are three basic components to hot pot: broth, dipping ingredients, and sauces. Broths can be spicy, mild, tomato-based, creamy, or vegetarian. Dipping ingredients include meat, seafood, vegetables, and tofu. Popular sauces include peanut, soy, and chilli.

Choose a broth

Choosing the right broth is essential to the hot pot experience. It is the foundation of your meal and will influence the flavours of the ingredients you cook in it.

There are many types of broths to choose from, and you can even opt for a combination of two broths served in the same pot with a metal divider. Here are some popular options:

• Chicken broth: This is a basic broth that is perfect for beginners. It is usually mild and can be topped up with other broths as they evaporate.
• Tom Yum: A Thai-influenced soup made with lemongrass, chilli peppers, fish sauce, galangal, lime juice and lime leaves. It is hot and sour and pairs well with meat.
• Ma-La: A Szechuan broth that is very spicy and has curry-like flavours. It is loaded with tongue-numbing Szechuan peppercorns, chillies, ginger, scallions, cinnamon, anise and fennel.
• Savory mushroom: A good vegetarian option that is rich in umami.
• Chongqing: A bold and spicy broth filled with Sichuan peppercorns, red chillies, preserved mustard greens and other spices.
• Sweet-and-sour tomato: A tomato-based broth with a sweet and sour flavour.
• Coconut-infused seafood tom kha: A coconut-based broth with a hint of seafood.

When choosing a broth, consider the level of spiciness and flavour intensity you prefer. If you want to create your own unique broth, you can mix and match different spices and ingredients to find your perfect combination.

Additionally, if you are making hot pot at home, you can opt for pre-packaged hot pot soup bases, which are easily available and make the process much easier.

Pick your proteins

Hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience, and choosing your proteins is an important part of the process. Here are some tips to help you select the best proteins for your hot pot:

Choose a variety of meats

Thinly sliced beef is a popular choice for hot pot as it cooks quickly, usually within 10 to 30 seconds. Other options include chicken pieces, pork belly, lamb shoulder, and offal. If you want something even faster, go for meat, fish, or pork dumplings or balls, which only take about 5 minutes to cook.

Seafood options

If you enjoy seafood, there are plenty of choices to add to your hot pot. Head-on shrimp is a great option as they cook in their shells, adding extra flavour to the broth. For easier-to-eat seafood, go for haddock, seabass, squid, or eel. Shellfish lovers can opt for mussels, oysters, crab, and lobster.

Tofu

Tofu is a fantastic plant-based protein option for your hot pot. It absorbs the flavours of the broth and can be a tasty addition to your meal. Just be sure to let it cool a little before enjoying, as it will be very hot!

Timing is key

Remember that different proteins will have different cooking times. For example, meats like beef will cook quickly, while chicken may take longer. So, it's a good idea to add the longer-cooking proteins first and then add the quicker-cooking items later. This way, everything will be cooked to perfection!

When selecting your proteins, consider the broth you've chosen and the flavours you want to create. Don't be afraid to experiment and try new things—that's part of the fun of hot pot!

Select your vegetables

Vegetables are a key component of a tie hot pot. They add colour, texture, and variety to your meal, and are a great way to ensure you're getting a range of nutrients. Here are some tips and suggestions for selecting your vegetables:

• Variety is key: Aim for a mix of colours, textures, and types of vegetables. This will make your hot pot visually appealing and ensure a range of flavours and nutrients.
• Leafy greens: Include some leafy greens such as napa cabbage, baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, yu choy, and chrysanthemum leaves. These vegetables add a fresh taste and are packed with nutrients.
• Meaty veggies: Vegetables like bok choy, napa cabbage, and Chinese broccoli will take longer to cook, so add them to the pot earlier.
• Tender veggies: Tender vegetables such as winter melon and celtuce will cook quickly, so keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking.
• Root vegetables: Root veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and daikon radish will take the longest to cook. Cut them into thin slices to speed up the cooking process.
• Mushrooms: Mushrooms are a must-have for your hot pot. Try to include a variety such as enoki, shimeji, king oyster, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms. They add a savoury, umami flavour to the dish.
• Preparation: Wash and dry your vegetables before cutting them into bite-sized pieces or slices. This makes them easier to cook and ensures even cooking.
• Cooking times: Remember that different vegetables will have different cooking times. Add the vegetables that take longer to cook first, and adjust your timing accordingly.
• Amount: As a rule of thumb, prepare 2-3 types of vegetables per person, and aim for a total of 1.5 lbs of vegetables for your hot pot.

Prepare your dipping sauce

Preparing your dipping sauce is a very personal thing. You can make it as simple or as complex as you like, depending on your taste preferences and the time you have available. Here are some ideas for how to prepare your dipping sauce for a tie hot pot:

Basic Ingredients

These are some of the most common ingredients used in hot pot dipping sauces:

• Chinese sesame paste or sauce
• Peanut butter or peanut sauce
• Soy sauce (light soy sauce, seasoned soy sauce, or seafood-flavoured soy sauce)
• Sha Cha Sauce (Chinese BBQ Sauce)
• Sichuan Peppercorn Oil
• Chili Garlic Sauce / Sambal Oelek
• Chinese black vinegar/rice vinegar
• Toasted sesame seeds
• Fried shallots or garlic

Flavour Profiles

You can combine the basic ingredients in different ways to create different flavour profiles. Here are some examples:

• Taiwanese Shacha Dipping Sauce: Savoury and garlicky with a hint of seafood flavour.
• Garlic Sesame Sauce: Creamy, garlicky, and savoury.
• Chinese Spicy Chili Garlic Sauce: Spicy with a savoury, slightly tangy flavour.
• Japanese Sesame Miso Sauce: Creamy, nutty, and umami-rich from the miso paste.
• Spicy Peanut Sauce: Nutty, spicy, savoury, with a mildly sour and sweet flavour.

Tips

• If you can't find Chinese sesame paste, you can use a blend of unsweetened peanut butter with tahini.
• Aged balsamic vinegar tastes naturally sweeter and has a thicker consistency than regular balsamic vinegar.
• If you prefer a soy-free option, use chickpea miso paste instead of regular miso paste.
• If you can't have peanut butter, use creamy almond butter instead.
• Store your dipping sauce in an airtight glass container in the fridge. It should last for about a week. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a small amount of water to thin it out.

Recipes

Light Sesame Soy

This simple recipe combines sesame oil, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic, and chopped spring onion. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top for a crunchy texture.

Chilli Oil Vinegar Dip

Chilli oil is the main ingredient in this recipe, providing a wonderful flavour and kick to the dip. Combine it with minced garlic, black vinegar, light soy sauce, and chopped spring onion.

Creamy Dashi Garlic

This creamy sauce includes peanut butter, minced garlic, and chopped coriander.

Honey Miso Dip

This dip combines chopped spring onion, chopped coriander, and honey for a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and savoury.

Spicy Peanut Dip

This dip is easy and flavorful, with peanut butter as the main ingredient, adding creaminess and a nutty flavour. Dou ban jiang (a popular bean paste used in Sichuan cuisine) adds a nice heat. Include chopped spring onion for extra flavour.

Cook your ingredients

Once your broth is boiling, it's time to start adding your ingredients. Start with the items that will take the longest to cook, such as meatballs, fish balls, dumplings, and hardy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, taro, and winter melon. These items can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes to cook, so give them a head start.

After a minute or so, add larger pieces of protein such as chicken, lamb shoulder, or pork belly. These will take around 5 to 8 minutes to cook. Stir the pot occasionally to ensure even cooking.

Next, add your seafood. Shrimp, squid, scallops, and fish fillets will only take about a minute to cook, while items like clams can take up to 5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook your seafood, as it can become rubbery.

Now it's time for the delicate meats and greens. Add thinly sliced beef, pork, or chicken, as well as leafy greens like bok choy, spinach, and cabbage. These items will cook very quickly, usually in less than a minute, so keep an eye on them and remove them from the pot as soon as they're done to your liking.

Finally, add your noodles and starches. Thin noodles like vermicelli, rice noodles, and shirataki will only take a few minutes to cook. Frozen dumplings will take around 5 to 10 minutes.

Remember to cook your ingredients gradually and at a pace that matches your eating speed. Don't add too many ingredients at once, as this can lower the temperature of the broth and result in undercooked food. Enjoy the process and take your time!

Frequently asked questions