The Magic Of Hot Pot Broth: A Blend Of Flavors

Hot pot broth is usually made from chicken or chicken stock, but beef, seafood, or vegetable broth can also be used. The broth is infused with fresh herbs and aromatics, such as garlic, ginger, scallions, and cinnamon, as well as condiments like hot chile-sesame oil, soy sauce, and chile bean sauce. The result is a spicy, aromatic broth that serves as the base for a variety of raw ingredients that diners cook in the pot themselves.

Chicken broth

Ingredients

You will need:

• Chicken (a whole chicken or leg/thigh pieces)
• Ginger
• Scallions/Green onions
• White peppercorn
• Chicken stock (optional)
• Additional vegetables/aromatics (e.g. tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, red dates, celery, corn)
• Salt

Instructions

• Cut the chicken into large chunks and clean it thoroughly.
• Break the ginger and cut the scallions into large sections.
• Prepare a pot or wok with enough water (at least 4L). You can also use chicken stock instead of water for a more flavourful broth.
• Add the ginger, scallions, white peppercorn, and chicken to the pot.
• Bring the contents to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.
• Skim off any froth that appears on the surface and continue to simmer for 1-2 hours until the water becomes slightly milky.
• (Optional) For a mild hot pot broth, add vegetables/aromatics such as tomatoes, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, Chinese dates (jujube), and Goji berries to your serving pot. Season with salt and white pepper.
• Bring the broth to a boil and you're ready to start your hot pot meal!

Tips

• You can also add other ingredients to your broth for extra flavour, such as garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, or chilli oil.
• If you're using a whole chicken, you can shred the cooked meat and use it in other dishes, such as Sichuan Mouthwatering Chicken or Chow Mein.
• If you want a spicier broth, you can add dried chillies, Sichuan pepper, and other spices to your broth.

Beef broth

Ingredients

The key ingredients for a beef broth base are beef tallow (or beef dripping) , dried chilli peppers, Sichuan pepper, aromatics (such as scallions, onion, coriander, garlic, and ginger), and spices (such as star anise, cassia cinnamon, bay leaves, and cardamom).

Preparation

To make the spicy soup base, melt the beef tallow in cooking oil over medium heat, infusing it with the spices and aromatics. Then, remove the spices and add the dried chilli paste, along with the aromatics. Simmer to release their flavour, and finally, add sugar, Sichuan pepper, and rice wine.

Serving

Transfer the mixture to a heatproof container and refrigerate once cooled. Allow 24 hours to fully develop the flavour. You will then have a solidified block of soup base.

For serving, simply drop one or two blocks into the pot and dilute with hot water or stock.

Tips

• This soup base can be used in other dishes, such as Sichuan Boiled Fish, Spicy Beef Noodle Soup, or Big Plate Chicken.
• For a vegan alternative, replace the beef tallow with a neutral-flavoured cooking oil.
• For a milder beef broth, use stock made from beef bones as the liquid.

Spices and aromatics

Spices

Spices add depth and flavour to the broth. Some common spices used in hot pot broth include:

• Sichuan peppercorns
• White peppercorns
• Star anise
• Cinnamon stick
• Cloves
• Bay leaves
• Red pepper flakes
• Black cardamom pods

Aromatics

Aromatics like garlic, ginger, and scallions (spring onions) are essential to building a flavourful base for the broth. Here are some specific aromatics you can use:

• Garlic cloves, smashed
• Ginger, thinly sliced or cut into large sections
• Scallions (spring onions), quartered or cut into large sections
• Onions, thinly sliced

These spices and aromatics are typically sautéed or cooked in oil until fragrant and lightly browned before being added to the broth. This process helps to release their flavours and creates a complex and tasty base for your hot pot.

Meat and seafood

When it comes to hot pot, meat and seafood are the stars of the show. Here are some tips and suggestions for choosing and preparing these ingredients to create a delicious and memorable meal.

Meat

Beef, pork, and lamb are commonly used in hot pot. These meats are typically sliced paper-thin to ensure quick cooking in the simmering broth. If you can find pre-sliced meats, go for it; otherwise, partially freeze the meat to make slicing easier. Here are some specific cuts to consider:

• Beef: Brisket, short rib, ribeye, sirloin, and flank steak
• Pork: Shoulder, loin, and belly
• Lamb: Shoulder and leg

Chicken is also a popular choice for hot pot. Boneless breast or thigh meat works well, sliced into thin strips. You can marinate the chicken before adding it to the broth to enhance the flavour.

In addition to these standard options, you can also explore offal options such as beef tripe, pork intestine, tongue, kidney, and liver. These require slightly longer cooking times and can be marinated beforehand.

Seafood

The sky's the limit when it comes to seafood in hot pot. Here are some popular choices:

• Shellfish: Shrimp, scallops, lobster, crabs, oysters, clams, mussels, abalone, and geoduck
• Fish: Halibut, salmon, monkfish, bass, and tilapia
• Squid and cuttlefish, either fresh or dried
• Store-bought or homemade fish balls and fish cakes, which can be made with various types of seafood

When preparing seafood for hot pot, keep in mind that most items will cook quickly in the broth. Leave shellfish in their shells for added flavour, and consider using a small strainer to cook delicate items like fish slices to prevent them from falling apart in the pot.

Tips for a Successful Meat and Seafood Hot Pot

• Balance your meat and seafood choices with plenty of vegetables and other ingredients to create a well-rounded meal.
• Always ensure your broth is boiling before adding raw meat or seafood to avoid undercooking.
• Allow the broth to boil for at least 30 seconds to 1 minute after adding raw meat or seafood before removing any cooked items from the pot.
• If using pre-cooked items like beef or seafood balls, simply heat them through in the broth.
• For a more interactive dining experience, provide individual dipping sauces for each diner to customise according to their preferences.

Vegetables

Firstly, a mix of leafy greens and other vegetables is important. Leafy greens such as baby bok choy, spinach, morning glory, kale, watercress, tatsoi, Napa cabbage, pea shoots, and Chinese broccoli should be washed and cut into manageable pieces. Other vegetables that can be used include bamboo shoots, lotus root, cauliflower, radish, broccoli, carrot, pumpkin, squash, potato, sweet potato, taro root, tomatoes, corn, and winter melon. These vegetables should be peeled and sliced into thin pieces.

Secondly, a variety of mushrooms should be used. Mushrooms such as enoki, beech, shiitake, king oyster, oyster, and shimeji mushrooms add a variety of textures and flavours to the hot pot. They should be washed, drained, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Finally, starchy vegetables such as rice cakes, rice noodles, vermicelli, spinach noodles, shirataki noodles, dumplings, and potato starch noodles can be added to the hot pot. These starchy foods will help to fill out the meal and make it more satisfying.

Overall, a variety of different types of vegetables should be used in a hot pot to create a well-rounded and flavourful dish.

Frequently asked questions