Hot Pot Hospitality: A Guide To Hosting A Sizzling Soiree

Hosting a hot pot party is a fun and interactive way to bring people together over food. A hot pot party is a communal dining experience where guests cook their own food in a bubbling cauldron of broth, creating a fun and engaging activity for everyone involved.

To host a hot pot party, you'll need a variety of ingredients, including vegetables, proteins, and noodles, as well as a hot pot vessel to keep the broth boiling. It's also important to have a range of sauces and condiments for guests to customise their dishes.

The beauty of hot pot is its versatility – you can choose any ingredients you like and tailor them to your guests' dietary restrictions. It's also a great way to celebrate special occasions and holidays, bringing people together in a fun and interactive way.

Prepare the hot pot with two broths

Preparing two broths for your hot pot is a great way to offer variety to your guests and elevate their dining experience. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you prepare two broths for your hot pot party:

Choosing the Broths

The beauty of hot pot is its versatility, so feel free to choose any type of broth that suits your taste and the theme of your party. Here are some popular options:

• Chicken broth
• Beef broth
• Vegan/Vegetarian broth
• Spicy Sichuan broth
• Mild chicken or vegetable broth
• Coconut curry broth

Preparing the Broths

• Use a divided pot to serve two different broths simultaneously. This will create a unique dining experience for your guests.
• If you're making your own broth from scratch, plan ahead as some broths require overnight preparation and refrigeration.
• You can also purchase ready-made hot pot soup bases from Asian shops or make your own and store them in the freezer for later use.
• When preparing the broth, consider adding aromatics such as garlic, ginger, scallions, and cilantro to enhance the flavour.
• Spicy broths can be adjusted to your preference by increasing or decreasing the amount of chili peppers and Sichuan pepper.
• If you're serving a mild broth, you may want to add more ingredients such as vegetables or meat to give it more flavour.

Presenting the Broths

• Have the broths simmering and ready to go when your guests arrive.
• Provide each guest with two sets of chopsticks: one for cooking and adding ingredients to the broth, and the other for eating.
• Small strainers, skimmers, or tongs can be useful for guests to handle their chosen ingredients in the broth.
• Small serving bowls are ideal for guests to cook and customise their meals.
• Keep an eye on the temperature of the broths and ensure they remain hot enough throughout the party.

Set up a custom sauce station

Setting up a custom sauce station is a key part of hosting a hot pot party. It's a fun and interactive way to let your guests get creative and personalise their meal. Here's a step-by-step guide to setting up a custom sauce station for your hot pot party:

• Choose a location: Consider setting up the sauce station away from the dining table to free up space. A counter or a separate table near the dining area is a good option.
• Select sauces and condiments: Offer a variety of sauces and condiments to cater to different tastes. Some popular options include soy sauce, hot chilli oil or sesame oil, rice vinegar, black bean sauce, minced garlic and ginger, sliced scallions, slivered hot peppers, peanut sauce, fresh cilantro, chilli paste, and lime juice. You can also include unique options like Chinese sesame paste, Sha Cha sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce), Sichuan peppercorn oil, and Chinese black vinegar.
• Provide containers and utensils: Make sure you have enough small bowls, plates, or ramekins for your guests to mix their sauces. Provide spoons, chopsticks, or small whiskers for mixing.
• Label the sauces: Clearly label each sauce and condiment, especially if you have guests with specific dietary restrictions or allergies.
• Offer customisation tips: Guide your guests on how to create their own unique sauce combinations. You can provide recipe cards or a small chalkboard with suggested sauce mixes. For example, suggest mixing sesame paste or peanut butter with soy sauce, or combining Sha Cha sauce with garlic and cilantro.
• Refill and replenish: Keep an eye on the sauce station throughout the party and refill any empty containers. Make sure there is enough sauce for all your guests, and don't forget to offer a variety of options to cater to different taste preferences.
• Encourage creativity: Encourage your guests to experiment and have fun with their sauce creations. Hot pot is all about customisation, so let your guests know that there is no wrong way to mix their sauces.

By following these steps, you'll be able to set up a custom sauce station that will impress your guests and take your hot pot party to the next level!

Choose a variety of vegetables

When it comes to choosing vegetables for your hot pot, the sky's the limit! Just think about veggies that go with Asian flavours and you pretty much have your recipe for deliciousness.

• Cabbage: Napa cabbage, green cabbage, bok choy, and baby bok choy
• Leafy greens: spinach, morning glory, kale, watercress, tatsoi, and edible chrysanthemum (tong ho)
• Mushrooms: enoki, shiitake, oyster, king oyster, and wood ear mushrooms
• Onions: green onions, sliced red or sweet yellow onions
• Other crunchy veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, lotus root, bell peppers, baby corn, and bamboo shoots
• Starchy vegetables: taro root, lotus root, potato slices, sweet potatoes, Japanese yam, corn, and daikon radish

When shopping for vegetables, try to buy a variety of colours, textures, and shapes to create a beautiful and dramatic landscape on your table. It's also a good idea to source the best versions of each vegetable by making several small stops to different markets or grocery stores.

Remember, the key to a successful hot pot party is abundance and variety, so be sure to impress your guests with an overflowing table of veggies!

Pick your proteins

When it comes to proteins for your hot pot, the world is your oyster. The beauty of hot pot is its versatility, so you can tailor your ingredients to your guests' preferences and dietary requirements.

For a traditional northern Chinese hot pot, lamb is a popular choice, as is mutton, which is considered a luxury item. Beef and chicken are also good options, but chicken takes longer to cook. If you're going for chicken, it's best to pre-cook it. For a more authentic Chinese experience, opt for thinly sliced meats, as these will cook quickly in the broth.

If you're catering to vegetarians, there are plenty of options. Tofu is a classic, as are fish balls, which are usually made from surimi, or processed fish. You could also include dumplings, which can be cooked or uncooked when added to the broth.

Seafood is another great choice for hot pot. Shrimp, scallops, squid, clams, mussels, and fish balls are all tasty additions to the pot. Just make sure the seafood is peeled or thinly sliced so it cooks quickly.

For meat-eaters, meatballs are a good choice, and you can make these yourself or buy them pre-made. Pork belly, lamb shoulder, and filet mignon are also delicious, and again, these should be thinly sliced.

Variety is key, so aim to provide an array of proteins to impress your guests and ensure everyone's dietary needs are met.

Noodles, dumplings, and sides

For a hot pot party, it's important to prepare a great variety of ingredients, with different flavours and textures. This is especially important for vegetarian hot pots, where you should focus on texture.

Noodles

Typically, hot pot is served with thinner noodles that cook quickly, such as vermicelli, chow mein, rice, yam, or cellophane noodles, ramen, or udon. However, you can also try a thicker noodle, as long as it's cooked beforehand. If you're serving gluten-free guests, opt for potato starch noodles, sweet potato noodles, rice noodles, or vermicelli.

Dumplings

If you can find vegetarian frozen dumplings, they're great in hot pot. You can usually find varieties that can be boiled, such as kimchi mandu. Don't thaw frozen dumplings before serving.

Sides

Vegetables should be crunchy and colourful, with a variety of textures. Good options include:

• Bamboo shoots
• Lotus root
• Cauliflower
• Radish
• Broccoli
• Carrot
• Squash
• Potato
• Sweet potato
• Taro root
• Napa cabbage
• Pea shoots
• Baby bok choy
• Chinese broccoli
• Yu choy
• Swiss chard
• Winter melon
• Celtuce
• Bean sprouts
• Mushrooms
• Daikon radishes
• Spinach
• Thinly sliced carrots or potatoes
• Onions
• Watercress
• Enoki mushrooms
• Leafy greens
• Kabocha squash
• Japanese sweet potatoes
• Daikon radishes
• Tatsoi
• Gai lan
• Pea shoots
• Lotus root
• Mung bean sprouts
• Bok choy
• Perilla leaves
• Thai basil
• Spring onions
• Cilantro

You can also add in some starchy vegetables, like squash, potato, sweet potato, or taro root.

For a northern-style Chinese hot pot, serve lamb and napa cabbage.

Frequently asked questions