Hot Pot Essentials: The Ultimate Guide To A Flavorful Feast

Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating. It's an interactive and deeply communal meal, where a variety of food is cooked in a communal simmering pot of flavoured broth.

To make hot pot, you'll need a portable heat source for the table and a compatible cooking vessel. You can use a butane burner or an induction burner. For the cooking vessel, a wide, shallow pot is best.

For the food, you'll need a selection of raw vegetables, meats, seafood and starches. You can also add tofu, noodles and dumplings. It's best to have a variety of options so that your guests can pick and choose what they want to cook and eat.

You'll also need some sauces for dipping. These can be store-bought or made from scratch.

Once you've got all your ingredients, it's time to start cooking! Add your ingredients to the pot a little at a time and let them cook until they're done to your liking. Be sure to keep the broth boiling so that everything cooks evenly. Enjoy!

Broth: The base of your hot pot can be anything from chicken soup to a spicy Sichuan broth

The broth is the base of your hot pot, and the beauty of this dish is that you can use anything from chicken soup to a spicy Sichuan broth. It's entirely up to you and your taste preferences.

If you're looking for a spicy broth, you could try a Sichuan-style broth, which is a popular choice for hot pots. This type of broth typically includes beef tallow or cooking oil, dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, and other spices such as star anise, cassia cinnamon, and bay leaves. It often also includes aromatics like scallions, onion, coriander, garlic, and ginger, as well as fermented ingredients like Sichuan chilli bean paste and fermented black beans for added umami and saltiness.

For a milder broth, you could opt for a chicken-based broth, which is also a common choice. This can be as simple as boiling a whole chicken or chicken pieces in water with some sliced ginger, or you can add additional ingredients like shiitake mushrooms, scallions, Chinese dates, and Goji berries for extra flavour.

If you're short on time or don't want to make your own broth from scratch, you can also find pre-made hot pot bases and seasoning packets at Asian grocery stores or online. These can be easily customised to your taste preferences and spice tolerance.

Remember, the beauty of hot pot is that it's versatile and customisable, so feel free to experiment with different ingredients and combinations to find your perfect broth!

Meat: Thinly sliced beef, pork, chicken or lamb are popular choices

Meat is a key component of a hot pot. Typically, the meat is sliced thinly so that it cooks quickly in the hot broth. Popular choices include beef, pork, chicken, and lamb.

Beef

Beef is a popular choice for hot pot. Look for cuts with a good balance of lean meat and fat, such as ribeye steak, brisket, or beef belly. You can also use leaner cuts like sirloin or eye of round, but take care not to overcook them. Freeze the meat slightly before slicing to achieve thinner cuts.

Pork

Thinly sliced pork belly, shoulder, or loin are great options for hot pot. You can also buy pre-packaged sliced pork from Asian supermarkets, often labelled as "hot pot" or "shabu shabu".

Chicken

Chicken is another popular choice, though it may require slightly longer cooking times than beef or pork.

Lamb

Lamb is commonly used in Sichuan and northern Chinese hot pots, especially in spicy broths. The leg or shoulder are the best cuts to use, and the meat is often sliced thinly.

DIY Slicing

If you want to slice your own meat, choose cuts with a good amount of fat and marbling, as this will ensure the meat stays juicy and tender. Freeze the meat for about 30 minutes until it feels slightly firm, and then slice it as thinly as possible.

Cooking the Meat

You can cook the meat by swishing it in the hot broth with chopsticks or placing it in a small strainer ladle, which gives you more control over the cooking time. Meat typically cooks very quickly in a hot pot, so keep an eye on it to avoid overcooking.

Other Meat Options

In addition to the classic choices, you can also add animal offal like liver or kidneys, or more unusual options like bullfrog or fish tofu (a whipped fish paste that is fried).

Seafood: Shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels and clams are commonly used

Seafood is a very common addition to hot pot, but it's something that can be skipped. When included, seafood is usually cooked alongside the hot pot broth, and then scooped out and dipped in sauce.

If you're including seafood in your hot pot, it's best to buy frozen seafood medley packs that contain shrimp, squid, scallops, and sometimes even mussels and clams. Fresh fish is also a good option when you're splurging or feeling healthy.

Shrimp

Small shrimp is recommended. Frozen is a great option, just make sure they are completely defrosted and patted dry before cooking. Devein and de-shell the shrimp before cooking. Bonus points if you remove the tail prior to placing them in the pan. Small shrimp will take around 4-5 minutes to cook.

Squid

If the tentacles aren't your thing, just go for the tubes. Fresh squid is preferable, but frozen works too! If you buy them frozen or from a reputable fish market, they should be pre-cleaned. Pat dry before cooking. Squid cooks very quickly and only needs to be cooked halfway, which will take around 1-2 minutes.

Scallops

Frozen scallops are usually a more affordable option. Make sure they are patted dry before cooking. Scallops can be cooked separately in a frying pan to avoid sticking. Small scallops need about 2 minutes on each side in a hot pan to be fully cooked through. If you're adding them to the hot pot, cook them halfway first, which will take around 1-2 minutes.

Mussels and Clams

Mussels and clams add a great flavor to the hot pot as they release their juices into the broth. They require some special handling, so make sure to get live mussels and clams from the store. Tap on the shells, and if they close, that means they're alive and safe to eat. If they stay open, discard them.

Before cooking, place the mussels and clams in a bowl of cold water for about 20 minutes to allow them to expel sand. Then, remove them from the water, discard the sandy water, and scrub the shells with a brush under cold water to remove any remaining dirt or sand. This preparation process will take around 30 minutes.

Mussels and clams will take 7-10 minutes to cook in the hot pot. Any shells that do not open during the cooking process should be discarded.

Lobster

While lobster can be added to hot pot, it may get lost among the other flavors. If you choose to include it, add chopped, uncooked lobster meat at the same time as the squid. Add pre-cooked lobster meat at the end.

Timing

Since the seafood ingredients cook at different rates, it's important to manage their cooking times carefully. Start by cooking the shrimp and scallops, then remove them when you add the clams and mussels so that they don't overcook.

Dipping Sauce

While the broth is often the only flavoring agent needed for hot pot, dipping sauces are also common. Shacha, a Taiwanese seafood-based barbecue sauce, is a popular choice. It can be mixed with a raw egg yolk, soy sauce, sesame oil, green onions, and cilantro to create a balanced dipping sauce.

Amount

Use your judgment to decide on the amount of seafood to include in your hot pot, depending on the number of guests and their preferences. As a guide, a serving for one person could include 1/2 lb of seafood, with a mix of two or more types.

Alternatives

If you're looking for alternatives to the seafood options listed above, consider adding crab, fish balls, or egg dumplings to your hot pot.

Vegetables: Leafy greens, root vegetables and mushrooms are added to the pot

Vegetables are a key component of hot pot. Here are some tips for choosing and preparing veggies for your hot pot:

Leafy greens

Leafy greens are a great addition to hot pot. They cook quickly and add a fresh texture to the meal. Some options include:

• Spinach
• Pea tips
• Napa cabbage
• Chrysanthemum greens
• Yu choy
• Bok choy
• Watercress
• Lettuce
• Morning glory
• Kale
• Tatsoi

Root vegetables

Root vegetables are another important part of hot pot. They take a little longer to cook, so be sure to add them to the pot first. Some options include:

• Potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Carrots
• Daikon
• Taro
• Lotus root
• Corn
• Yam
• Bamboo shoots

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are a must-have for hot pot. They add a meaty texture and soak up the flavour of the broth. Some options include:

• Enoki mushrooms
• Shiitake mushrooms
• King oyster mushrooms
• Button mushrooms
• Morel mushrooms

When preparing your vegetables, be sure to wash and dry them thoroughly. Cut any large leaves or root vegetables into smaller pieces. You can also use a mandoline to slice root vegetables thinly and evenly.

Starch: Noodles, rice cakes and dumplings are cooked in the broth

Noodles, rice cakes, and dumplings are a great way to finish off a hot pot meal, as they soak up all the flavours of the broth.

When it comes to noodles, you can use instant ramen, rice noodles, wheat noodles, or even leftover cooked rice noodles. If you're using wheat noodles, it's best to cook them beforehand, as they release a lot of starch into the broth if cooked directly in it. Rice noodles, on the other hand, can be soaked in water and then cooked directly in the broth.

Rice cakes are a popular addition to hot pot. Chinese rice cakes, or *niangao*, are made from pounded rice and have a sticky, chewy texture. They are usually used in savoury dishes but can also be sweet. You can find them fresh, frozen, or vacuum-packed at your local Asian grocery store. If you're using dried rice cakes, be sure to soak them in water before adding them to the broth.

Finally, dumplings are a must-have for hot pot. You can use frozen dumplings, just be sure to cook them according to the package instructions. If using fresh dumplings, keep an eye on them as they will cook faster.

Frequently asked questions