The Art Of Chinese Hot Pot Soup: A Guide To Making This Comforting Delicacy

Chinese hot pot is a fun and interactive meal that's perfect for cold weather. It involves a pot of simmering soup placed in the middle of the table, with various raw ingredients like meat, seafood, vegetables, and noodles that diners can cook in the broth themselves. It's a social dining format, similar to fondue, that's popular in China and other Asian countries. Making Chinese hot pot at home is easy and only requires some basic equipment, a variety of ingredients, and a good broth.

Choosing your broth

The broth is the heart and soul of a good hot pot. There are two main types of broth for hot pots: a spicy version and a clear version. The spicy version is called 红汤 in Chinese and the clear version is called 清汤. You can also use pre-packaged hot pot soup bases, which are widely available in Chinese markets and come in a variety of flavours, including Mongolian Hot Pot, Seafood Hot Pot, and Spicy Sichuan Hot Pot.

If you want to make your own broth from scratch, you will need to first make a basic stock. Here is a recipe for a basic stock:

Ingredients:

• 1000g chicken
• 250g pork bones
• Ginger
• Scallion
• White peppercorn

Instructions:

• Cut the chicken into large chunks and clean the chicken chunks and pig bones.
• Break the ginger and cut the scallion into large sections.
• Prepare a pot or wok with enough water (at least 4L).
• Add the ginger, scallion, white peppercorn, chicken, and pig bones to the pot.
• Skim any scum that floats on the surface and keep the soup clean.
• Bring the contents to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Once you have your basic stock, you can make either the spicy or clear version of the hot pot broth.

Spicy version:

• Melt beef tallow in a pot and fry ginger, scallion, and cloves until aromatic.
• Place in your store-bought mala hot pot seasonings or all spices and fry over a slow fire for 1-2 minutes.
• Pour in the light stock you prepared previously and simmer for 10 minutes over a slow fire.

Clear version:

• In your serving pot, add tomatoes, 2-3 shiitake mushrooms, red dates, scallion sections, celery, and 3 sections of corn.
• Season with 2 teaspoons of salt and load with 3L of light stock.

You can also make a non-spicy clear broth by combining the broth with cooking wine, goji berry, dried dates, and shiitake mushroom. Bring the soup to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Finally, add the scallions, salt, and white pepper to taste.

Selecting your proteins

The fun of hot pot is that you can choose your own adventure when it comes to proteins, and there are tons of options to choose from. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Meat

Thinly sliced beef and pork are popular choices for hot pot. If you're slicing the meat yourself, choose a high-grade, fatty cut like ribeye, brisket, or short ribs. Place the meat in the freezer for 15-30 minutes to make it firmer and easier to slice thinly. You can also find pre-sliced meat at your local Asian market. If you're grilling the meat, season or marinate it before cooking. Otherwise, there's no need to season the meat if you're boiling it in the hot pot.

Seafood

Shrimp, crab, lobster, clams, mussels, squid, scallops, and mild white fish are all great options for hot pot. If using crab or lobster, pre-cut the shells to make it easier to extract the meat. You can also find pre-made fish balls at Asian grocery stores.

Tofu

Fried tofu is a tasty addition to hot pot. You can fry it yourself or buy it pre-packaged. If fried tofu isn't your thing, opt for firm or extra-firm tofu that will hold up to cooking with the other ingredients.

Eggs

Quail eggs are a traditional addition to hot pot. For a less messy option, cook some soft jammy ramen eggs and slice them before adding to the pot.

Preparing your vegetables

• Wash and chop: Before you start cooking, make sure to wash all your vegetables thoroughly. For leafy greens like baby bok choy and napa cabbage, simply wash and cut them into smaller pieces. For harder vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and pumpkins, peel and slice them into 1/4-inch thick half-moons or 1-inch chunks.
• Variety is key: Try to include a variety of vegetables to create a well-balanced hot pot. Some popular options include leafy greens (baby bok choy, spinach, napa cabbage), mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, oyster), and other vegetables (lotus root, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin).
• Timing is essential: When cooking your vegetables in the hot pot, pay attention to the timing. Leafy greens like spinach only need about 30 seconds to cook, while harder vegetables like bok choy and napa cabbage will take 2-4 minutes. Add the vegetables in batches to ensure even cooking.
• Consider texture: In addition to taste, consider the texture that different vegetables will bring to your hot pot. For example, mushrooms add a meaty texture, while baby corn and lotus root provide a crisp and crunchy element.
• Be creative: Don't be afraid to experiment with different types of vegetables. Think about what flavours go well with Asian cuisine, and don't be afraid to try something new. You can also ask your local grocer or butcher for recommendations.
• Prep in advance: If you're short on time, you can chop and prepare your vegetables in advance. Store them in airtight containers in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

Picking your noodles or rice

When it comes to choosing your noodles or rice, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, you'll want to select something that cooks quickly and won't add too much starch to your soup base. Here are some popular options:

• Mung bean vermicelli: Soak these noodles in warm water for about 10 minutes before adding them to your hot pot.
• Rice noodles: Par-cook these according to the package instructions, then rinse them in cold water before adding to your pot.
• Thin fresh white noodles, fresh spinach noodles, or udon noodles
• Shirataki noodles: These can be added directly to your boiling broth and cook in seconds.
• Rice cakes: Opt for thin ovals over thick Korean-style rice cakes, as they take too long to cook.
• Frozen dumplings: Smaller dumplings are better, and they'll take around 5-10 minutes to cook.

If you're looking for a gluten-free option, go for bean thread noodles, which are made solely from mung bean sprouts. You can also substitute rice noodles or udon noodles.

For a more filling meal, serve your hot pot with a side of white rice. However, this isn't the norm, as most people prefer to cook their starches directly in the pot.

Table setup and hot pot etiquette

Hot pot is a communal dining experience, with a single pot of broth in the centre of the table and a variety of ingredients for diners to cook themselves. It's important to note that different utensils should be used for cooking and eating, and that separate utensils should also be used for handling raw ingredients and cooked food.

• Use separate utensils for cooking and eating: It is common practice to use different utensils for cooking and eating. This ensures that cross-contamination does not occur, especially when handling raw ingredients.
• Use multiple broths: Most hot pot restaurants offer multiple broths to choose from, including spicy, salty, and mild options. You can also have multiple broths in the same pot, kept separate by metal dividers. This allows diners to choose their preferred broth and cook their ingredients accordingly.
• Gradually add ingredients: It is recommended to cook hot pot ingredients gradually and as you eat. This ensures that the ingredients are piping hot when eaten and prevents overcrowding in the pot, making it easier to retrieve the cooked food.
• Control the cooking time: Hot pot allows you to control the cooking time of your ingredients. For example, if you prefer your meat rare, hold it in the broth for a shorter time, and vice versa if you like it well done.
• Use a variety of ingredients: The beauty of hot pot lies in its versatility. In addition to meat, seafood, and vegetables, you can also include tofu, noodles, and various types of rice.
• Provide small serving bowls: It is recommended to provide small serving bowls for diners to load their cooked ingredients. This keeps the soup hot and encourages diners to cook in smaller batches.
• Provide chopsticks and soup spoons: Chopsticks and soup spoons are essential for slurping and fishing out the cooked ingredients.
• Provide small strainers: Small strainers can be useful for fishing out ingredients or keeping them contained while cooking.
• Use ladles for serving broths: Ladles are necessary for serving the individual broths, especially when there are multiple broths in the same pot.
• Take your time: Hot pot is meant to be a relaxing and social dining experience. It is not a rushed meal, so take your time to savour the ingredients and enjoy the company.

Frequently asked questions