Ella Walter
Hot pot is a fun and social way of eating, where a variety of raw ingredients are cooked in a communal pot of broth at the table. The ingredients can include meat, seafood, tofu, dumplings, noodles, and vegetables.
The key to hot pot is variety, so it's a good idea to have a range of foods from the following categories: protein, seafood, leafy greens, hardy vegetables, mushrooms, accessories, and starch.
For protein, thinly sliced beef, pork, chicken, and lamb are popular choices. For seafood, options might include shrimp, squid, scallops, clams, and fish balls.
Leafy greens such as napa cabbage, bok choy, and chrysanthemum greens are perfect for hot pot, while hardy vegetables like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and taro add texture and substance.
Mushrooms are a must-have, with enoki, shiitake, king oyster, and wood ear mushrooms being popular choices.
Accessories include items such as fried bean curd rolls and fish tofu, while starches might include instant ramen, rice, or glass noodles.
In addition to the food, you'll need some equipment to cook and serve your hot pot. This includes a burner and a pot, as well as plates, bowls, chopsticks, and tongs or strainers for adding and removing food from the pot.
Hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience that's perfect for bringing people together. With a variety of ingredients and a few simple tools, you're ready to host your own hot pot party!
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Broth | Spicy, clear, herbal, plain, curry, or seafood-oriented |
| Meat | Beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish, shrimp, crab, squid, scallops, or meatballs |
| Seafood | Shrimp, crab, squid, scallops, mussels, clams, tilapia, or fish balls |
| Vegetables | Leafy greens, cabbages, mushrooms, starchy vegetables, bamboo shoots, radishes, or corn |
| Tofu | Firm, extra firm, deep-fried, frozen, or egg tofu |
| Noodles | Udon, mung bean, shirataki, rice, or glass noodles |
| Dumplings | Pork and vegetable, pork and corn, wonton, gyoza, or beef |
| Equipment | Burner, pot, slotted ladle, tongs, chopsticks, bowls, plates, or strainers |
Meat and seafood
When it comes to meat and seafood, the options are endless. The key is to slice the meat thinly so that it cooks quickly in the hot pot. Here are some options to choose from:
Meat
- Beef: ribeye, short ribs, flank, sirloin, or lamb shoulder
- Pork: pork belly, pork jowl, loin, sirloin, shoulder
- Chicken: breast or thigh
- Lamb: leg or shoulder
Seafood
- Shrimp
- Scallops
- Squid or cuttlefish
- Fish: white fish such as tilapia or salmon
- Fish balls: shrimp, pork, lobster, or fish roe-filled fish balls
- Seafood medley packs: a combination of shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels, and clams
When cooking meat and seafood in the hot pot, it is important to cook them in small batches and not overcrowd the pot. Meat and seafood cook quickly, usually within 30 seconds to 2 minutes. For frozen seafood items like fish balls, allow a little more time, around 2 to 4 minutes.
Steamer Pan Sizes: Half-Size Dimensions
You may want to see also
Vegetables
The beauty of hot pot is that you can choose your own adventure. You can put in whatever vegetables you like and eat them however you like. However, there are some vegetables that are more popular than others.
Leafy Greens
- Bok Choy
- Watercress
- Snow Pea Leaves
- Napa Cabbage
- Chinese Spinach
- Gai Lan
- Green Onions
- Chrysanthemum Greens
- Yu Choy
- Tong Ho (Edible Chrysanthemum)
- Taiwanese Spinach
- Water Spinach
Root Vegetables
- Daikon
- Carrots
- Small Potatoes
- Taro Root
- Lotus Root
- Sweet Potatoes
- Japanese Yam
- Corn
- Bamboo Shoots
Mushrooms
- Enoki
- King Oyster
- Shiitake
- Cremini
- Shimeji
- Wood Ear
- King Oyster
- Beech
Other Vegetables
- Tomatoes
- Squash (Kabocha)
- Winter Melon (Bitter Melon)
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Bean Sprouts
- Corn
- Green Beans
Drain Pan Slope Requirements
You may want to see also
Tofu and soy-based products
Tofu is a versatile ingredient that can transform your hot pot experience. It's a plant-based protein that suits dairy-free and gluten-free diets, absorbs flavours well, and is adaptable to different textures.
- Soft tofu – This tofu has a delicate, custard-like texture and comes in soft, firm, and extra firm varieties. It's best added at the end of cooking or paired with light sauces and broths.
- Firm tofu – This tofu is more substantial and chewy, with a higher water content. It holds its shape better and is ideal for adding sliced or cubed early in the cooking process.
- Tofu puffs – These are deep-fried tofu pieces with a crispy exterior and soft interior. They are excellent for adding texture to your hot pot.
- Frozen tofu – Freezing tofu changes its structure, making it porous. It absorbs marinades well and is perfect for slicing thinly and adding a meaty texture to your hot pot.
- Pre-flavoured tofu – You can find tofu steeped in various broths and marinades, such as smoked tofu, tea-smoked tofu, 5-spice tofu, sesame oil tofu, and chilli oil tofu.
- Tofu skins – Thin, chewy tofu sheets that transform into noodle-like textures when added to hot pot.
- Soy puffs – These are already cooked and just need to be reheated in the hot pot.
- Dried bean curd sticks – Soak these in warm water before adding to the hot pot.
When preparing tofu for hot pot, consider pressing it to remove excess moisture, marinating it for richer flavour, and cutting it into uniform sizes to ensure even cooking.
- Soy sauce – The classic seasoning that infuses savoury umami flavours.
- Fermented bean paste – Intense umami and funkiness from fermented soy or broad beans.
- Hoisin sauce – A sweet, thick sauce flavoured with five-spice powder.
- Sesame sauce or sesame oil – Nutty essence that pairs well with tofu.
- Chili garlic sauce – Spicy, pungent burst of garlic and chillies.
- Ginger scallion sauce – Bright, gingery flavour with green onion aroma.
- Hot pot dipping sauces – Try chilli oil, sesame sauce, or hoisin sauce.
Slow-Cooked Comfort: Hot Dogs and Sauerkraut in the Crock Pot
You may want to see also
Noodles and dumplings
Noodles
- Hand-pulled noodles or other fresh noodles
- Packaged dried noodles
- Shirataki noodles (konnyaku)
Dumplings
Frozen dumplings (Wei Chuan dumplings are highly recommended)
For noodles and dumplings, simply cook them according to the instructions on the package.
There are two ways to serve the noodles. You can serve them with the hot pot broth, in which case the noodles should be served at the beginning of the hot pot party, as the broth gets too cloudy after all the cooking. It’s more common to serve the noodles in the non-spicy hot pot broth.
You can also serve the noodles with hot pot dipping sauce. A sesame dipping sauce is perfect for this purpose.
The Secret to Scrambling Eggs in a Bumpy Cast Iron Pan
You may want to see also
Sauces
There are a few staple sauces that are commonly used as a base for hot pot dipping sauces. These include:
- Chinese sesame paste (or peanut butter)
- ShaCha/Chinese BBQ sauce
- Light soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Sesame oil
- Vinegar (black vinegar, rice vinegar, or rice wine vinegar)
- Fish sauce
- Hoisin sauce
From there, you can add a variety of other ingredients to create your own unique sauce. Some popular options include:
- Chili oil
- Chili garlic sauce/Sriracha
- Chili crisp/Lao gan ma chili oil with black bean
- Chopped chili peppers
- Minced garlic
- Chopped scallions
- Minced/chopped cilantro
- Roasted chopped peanuts
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Sugar
- MSG
- Finely chopped garlic, crushed chili sauce (Lao Gan Ma brand is recommended), Shacha sauce, Chinese BBQ sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil
- Light soy sauce, oyster sauce, minced garlic, and chopped spring onion
- Peanut butter, minced garlic, and chopped coriander
- Spicy bean paste, sweet chili sauce, garlic and onion powder, chili flakes, and chopped coriander
- Sesame paste, dashi powder, black vinegar, and minced garlic
- Minced garlic, chopped red chili, green onion, Taiwanese Shacha sauce, and black vinegar
- Light soy sauce, black vinegar, minced garlic, and chopped spring onion
- Peanut butter, spicy bean paste, chopped spring onion
- Chinese sesame paste, ShaCha sauce, light soy sauce, chili oil, oyster sauce, minced garlic, chopped cilantro, and chopped scallion
Cast Iron Pan: Seasoning Secrets
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
You'll need a burner and a pot. The burner should be portable enough to sit at the centre of your table. It can be induction, gas, or a two-in-one pot connected to an electric source. For the pot, you want one that's shallow so your food isn't drowning. You can also use a split pot, which will allow you to serve two types of broth.
You can make your own broth or buy a pre-made broth base. For a spicy broth, try Sichuan, Chongqing, or Mongolian style. For a clear broth, you can use a packaged soup base or make your own with simple ingredients like water, scallions, ginger, peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and jujubes.
The key to hot pot is variety. You'll want to include protein, seafood, leafy greens, hardy vegetables, mushrooms, accessories, and starch. Some specific examples include beef short ribs, shrimp, Napa cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, taro, enoki mushrooms, instant ramen, and glass noodles.
Wash and chop all the ingredients. For meat, place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until slightly firm, then thinly slice. For seafood, cut into bite-sized pieces. For vegetables, cut into smaller pieces as needed. For tofu, drain and cut into bite-sized pieces or freeze and thaw for a porous texture.
Bring the broth to a boil, then add whatever takes the longest to cook or will impart more flavour. You can then add whatever ingredients you want at whatever pace you like. Remember to sanitise your chopsticks by dipping them in the boiling broth before eating.
