The Art Of Hotpot: A Beginner's Guide To This Flavorful Feast

Hot pot is an interactive and customisable meal with a rich history. It is less of a dish than an experience, encapsulating the communal dining ethos. It involves cooking an array of raw ingredients in a single pot of seasoned broth heated on an induction burner or electric range. The three basic components of hot pot are broth, dipping ingredients, and sauces.

The original hot pot was introduced to East Asia by the Mongolian Empire thousands of years ago and consisted of a simple broth served with horse meat and mutton. Today, there are many variations, with different regional styles and ingredients.

To prepare a hot pot, you will need to select a broth, meats and proteins, seafood, vegetables, and noodles. You will also need a hot pot burner, either butane or electric, and a pot to cook your ingredients in.

Once your broth is boiling, add the ingredients that take the longest to cook, such as hardy vegetables or meats, and then add the quicker-cooking ingredients like thinly sliced meats and delicate vegetables. Be sure to cook your ingredients gradually and at a pace that suits your eating speed.

Hot pot is meant to be a social and communal meal, so sharing and turn-taking are important. It is also meant to be an enjoyable and leisurely experience, so take your time and savour the company of your friends!

Choose your broth

Broths are the building blocks of your hot pot, so it's important to choose the right one. There are two types of broth for hot pot: spicy and clear.

The spicy broth is known as Hong You Guo Di or 红油锅底 in Chinese. It originates from Sichuan and Chongqing and has a high content of fat, usually beef tallow, and a strong, sophisticated aroma. It also has a distinctive Mala or 麻辣 flavour, which is a combination of mouth-numbing and spicy. To make this broth, you'll need beef tallow, dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, aromatics such as scallions, onion, coriander, garlic and ginger, and spices like star anise, cassia cinnamon and bay leaves.

The clear broth, on the other hand, is a general term for non-spicy broth that usually consists of stock, aromatics, herbs and sometimes vegetables. It's light and easy to prepare. To make this broth, you can use water, scallions and ginger, or a more flavourful option would be to use stock made from pork, beef, chicken, mushroom or tomatoes.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can even make two different broths and serve them side by side in a divided pot. This way, you can offer your guests a spicy and a mild option, or simply let them experience two different but complementary flavours.

Select meats and proteins

Hot pot is a highly customizable meal, so you can choose whatever meats and proteins you like. Here are some options to get you started:

Meat

• Beef: Thinly sliced beef is one of the most popular choices for hot pot as it cooks quickly (within 10-30 seconds). Look for fatty cuts like ribeye, brisket, or short ribs. You can also use pre-sliced beef from the refrigerated or frozen section of an Asian supermarket.
• Lamb: Try the calf muscle for a mix of fat, connective tissue, and lean parts. Slice it narrowly, against the grain.
• Pork: Presliced pork belly is a popular option, but you can also use pork shoulder or loin, thinly sliced.
• Chicken: Chicken pieces are available but less popular as they take longer to cook.

Seafood

• Shrimp: A popular and quick-cooking option (about 1 minute).
• Fish: Try tilapia, bass, or flounder/fluke, thinly sliced.
• Shellfish: Manila clams, mussels, oysters, crab, and lobster add a briny flavour to your broth.
• Fish/beef/pork balls: These are usually pre-cooked and just need to be heated through.

Tofu and soy products

• Tofu: Firm or extra-firm tofu holds up well in hot pot. You can also try frozen tofu, which has a spongier texture, or silken tofu for a softer option.
• Soy puffs
• Dried/frozen bean curd sticks/threads
• Bean curd rolls
• Tofu sheets/skin

Pick seafood

Seafood is an essential part of a hot pot, and there are many options to choose from. Here are some tips and suggestions for picking seafood for your hot pot:

Firstly, it is important to have a variety of seafood options to choose from. This can include a mix of fish, shellfish, and other seafood items. For fish, consider halibut, salmon, monkfish, bass, or most other types of fresh fish. Slice the fish into roughly quarter-inch-thick pieces. You can also use dried cuttlefish or fresh squid and cuttlefish. For shellfish, popular options include shrimp, scallops, lobster, crab, oysters, clams, mussels, abalone, and geoduck. Keep in mind that some of these options, like lobster and crab, will need to be chopped into large pieces while they are still alive, which can be upsetting for some. Oysters should be shucked, and mussels should be cleaned and debearded before cooking. Abalone and geoduck are more luxurious options that cook very quickly, so be careful not to overcook them.

In addition to fresh seafood, you can also include store-bought or homemade fish balls and fish cakes. Store-bought options are typically found in the freezer section of Asian supermarkets and come in various shapes and flavors. Some popular choices include round Chinese fish balls, which are usually white or golden brown, and square-shaped fish tofu. Fuzhou fish balls from the Fuzhou region of China are another unique option, stuffed with minced pork in the middle. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even try making your own fish balls at home by scraping the meat off the fish, mincing it, and then pounding it by hand to create a bouncy and springy texture.

When preparing your seafood for the hot pot, it is important to have a variety of cooking times so that your guests can enjoy their meal at a leisurely pace. Some items, like shrimp and shellfish, cook very quickly, while others, like fish and thicker pieces of seafood, may take a few minutes. Don't forget to provide a variety of dipping sauces for your guests to enjoy with their seafood!

Order vegetables

Ordering vegetables for a hot pot is a fun and important part of the experience. The sky's the limit when it comes to choosing vegetables, but it's a good idea to include a variety of colours and textures to make your hot pot interesting and festive. Here are some options to consider:

Crunchy Vegetables

Bamboo shoots, lotus root, cauliflower, radish, broccoli, and carrot are great options for adding a satisfying crunch to your hot pot.

Starchy Vegetables

Starchy vegetables like squash, potato, sweet potato, and taro root will add substance and flavour to the broth.

Leafy Greens

Napa cabbage, pea shoots, baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, yu choy, and Swiss chard are excellent choices for leafy greens. They will cook quickly and add a burst of colour to your hot pot.

Other Fun Chinese Vegetables

Include some unique Chinese vegetables like winter melon, celtuce, and bean sprouts to give your hot pot an authentic twist.

Mushrooms

When it comes to mushrooms, the more variety, the better! Enoki, oyster, shiitake, king oyster, and wood ear mushrooms are all fantastic options that will add texture and flavour to your hot pot.

Remember to prepare your vegetables by washing, peeling, and cutting them into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the pot. Happy cooking!

Add noodles

Noodles are a great way to round off a hot pot meal, as they are filling and cook quickly. You'll likely find udon, vermicelli, chow mein, and shandong noodles on most hot pot menus. If you're trying to cut down on carbohydrates, check the menu for yam noodle bundles or shirataki noodles.

Starches are a must-have in a hot pot meal. Look for thin/small items that cook quickly and won't add too much starch to the soup base.

• Mung bean vermicelli: Soak in warm water for 10 minutes.
• Rice noodles: Boil according to the package instructions, then rinse in cold water and drain.
• Thin fresh white noodles.
• Fresh spinach noodles.
• Shirataki noodles: Add directly to the boiling broth; they cook in seconds.
• Instant ramen: Use the noodles and save the flavour packets for something else. Cook for as long as you like since the noodles are already fried.
• Glass noodles: These are chef Eric Sze's go-to starch. He recommends buying the mung bean version, as they have less starch, which can burn at the bottom of the pot.

Add your noodles to the hot pot after you're about halfway through your meal. Stir them gently and cook them for a couple of minutes or until they're soft. The noodles will soak up the broth that's been flavoured by all the food you've cooked in it.

Frequently asked questions