Hot Pot Harmony: Navigating The Ultimate Communal Dining Experience

Hot pot is a fun and interactive dining experience, perfect for groups of friends. It's an Asian style of communal cooking, where you cook an array of ingredients in a single pot of seasoned broth. The experience starts with choosing a broth – you can go for a divided pot with two broths, usually a mild and a spicy one, or a full pot of one type of broth. Then, you select your meats, proteins, seafood, vegetables, and noodles to cook in the broth. Throughout the meal, the broth stays bubbling on the table, cooking the food you add to it. At the end, you can drink the broth, now infused with the flavours of all the ingredients.

Choose your broth

Choosing the broth is one of the most important considerations when planning a hot pot party. This is because all the food will be cooked in the broth, so it's essential to choose a flavour that pleases all your guests.

There are many different styles of hot pot, and they vary depending on the region. The primary difference between them is the broth.

If you're getting a divided hot pot, you can choose two broths, usually a mild and a spicy one. Here are some popular options:

• Chicken broth: A basic broth that's great for beginners.
• Tom Yum: A slightly sweet and spicy broth that goes well with meat.
• Ma-La: A Szechuan broth that's very spicy and has curry-like flavours.
• Savory mushroom: A good vegetarian option that's rich in umami.

If you're making your own broth, it can require a lot of special ingredients that are expensive to buy or unavailable at your local Asian market. So, it's recommended to buy a hot pot broth base.

However, if you want to make your own, a clear broth is the default type in northern China. This is usually made with water, scallions, ginger, peppers, shiitake mushrooms, and jujubes.

For a spicy broth, a Chongqing style features a thicker, richer broth. A Sichuan style is balanced with spiciness, numbness (from Sichuan peppercorns) and various herbs. A Mongolian style is heavy on cumin and less spicy.

If you want to experiment with different soup bases, it's recommended to purchase some and try them out before your party.

Pick your proteins

When it comes to picking your proteins for a hot pot, you have a lot of options. Here are some tips and suggestions to help you choose:

Beef

Beef is one of the most popular choices for hot pot as it cooks quickly and is easy to eat. Look for thinly sliced beef as this will cook evenly and only take around 10 to 30 seconds in the hot pot. Some restaurants may offer semi-frozen shaved ribeye, which is a great option.

Pork

Pork is another popular choice, with options such as pork belly and pork shoulder available. These cuts tend to take a little longer to cook than beef, so keep that in mind when adding them to the pot.

Chicken

Chicken pieces can also be used in hot pot, but they will take longer to cook than beef or pork. If you opt for chicken, be sure to add it to the pot with enough time to ensure it is cooked through.

Lamb

Lamb shoulder is a delicious and tender option for hot pot. Like chicken, it will take a little longer to cook, so be sure to add it to the pot with enough time.

Seafood

Seafood is a great addition to hot pot, offering a variety of textures and flavours. Head-on shrimp is a popular choice as they cook in their shells, adding extra flavour to the broth. Other options include haddock, seabass, squid, eel, mussels, oysters, crab, and lobster. Just be careful when eating head-on shrimp as very hot broth can become trapped in the shell.

Tofu

Tofu is a fantastic plant-based option for hot pot. It soaks up the flavours of the broth and can be added at any time during the meal as it does not need long to cook.

Meatballs and Fish Balls

Meatballs and fish balls are a fun addition to hot pot and come in a variety of flavours. They typically take around 5 minutes to cook, so add them to the pot at the beginning of your meal.

Dumplings

Dumplings are another popular choice and can be made with various fillings, such as pork or vegetables. Be sure to cook them according to the package directions to ensure they are cooked through.

Select seafood

Seafood is a great option for hot pot, and there are several types to choose from. Head-on shrimp is a good choice, as the shells will add flavour to the broth. However, be careful when eating, as very hot broth can become trapped in the shell. If you prefer seafood that is easier to eat, go for pieces of haddock, seabass, squid, or eel. Shellfish such as mussels, oysters, crab, and lobster are also great options.

For a more traditional Chinese hot pot experience, you can use a boiling pot of broth with various raw ingredients that are cooked in the hot stock. This is also similar to the Japanese style of hot pot called shabu-shabu, which uses a broth of dried kelp and an assortment of raw meats and seafood.

If you want to make a seafood hot pot at home, here is a recipe for you. You will need:

• 6 green onions, finely chopped
• 10 cups of rich seafood or chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon of ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon of garlic, minced
• 4 ounces of dried bean thread noodles, soaked and cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 pound of leafy greens (e.g. spinach, bok choy, or Napa cabbage), chopped into bite-size pieces
• 8 sea scallops, sliced
• 4 small squid, cut into rings
• 16 ounces of soft tofu, drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 12 shrimp, peeled, deveined, and butterflied

Place the stock, ginger, garlic, and green onions in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Soak the noodles in warm water until softened, then cut into bite-size lengths. Cut the greens, scallops, and squid into bite-size pieces. Cut the tofu into cubes. Arrange the noodles, seafood, vegetables, and tofu on a large platter. Reheat the broth to a simmer. Set a Mongolian hot pot or electric wok in the centre of a table. Pour the broth into the pot and adjust the heat to a gentle simmer. Use chopsticks or Chinese wire strainers to cook the seafood, vegetables, and tofu slices in the boiling water, then dip them into the sauce of your choice. Any remaining greens can be added at the end with the noodles to make soup.

Order vegetables

Ordering vegetables for your hot pot is an important step in the dining experience. The colourful variety of vegetables will not only be a treat for your eyes but will also add flavour and texture to your meal.

When ordering vegetables, it is best to include a mix of your favourites and some new ones to try. You can choose from a range of options, such as mushrooms, leafy greens, crunchy vegetables, and starchy vegetables.

If you want to add some crunch to your hot pot, go for vegetables like bamboo shoots, lotus root, cauliflower, radish, broccoli, or carrot. For starchy options, consider potato, sweet potato, squash, or taro root. Leafy greens such as napa cabbage, pea shoots, baby bok choy, Chinese broccoli, or Swiss chard will add a healthy touch to your meal. You can also opt for other Chinese vegetables like winter melon, celtuce, or bean sprouts.

Don't forget to include some mushrooms! Enokitake, oyster mushrooms, seafood mushrooms, shimeji, and wood ear mushrooms are all great choices. Remember to pre-soak the wood ear mushrooms before adding them to the pot.

When ordering vegetables, aim for a variety of colours and textures to make your hot pot more interesting and enjoyable. You can also freeze tofu beforehand to change its texture and make it more porous, allowing it to absorb more flavour.

Different vegetables will have different cooking times, so be sure to keep an eye on them to avoid overcooking. Leafy greens and crunchy vegetables will take around a minute to a few minutes, while starchy vegetables and frozen tofu will need a little longer.

Add noodles

Noodles are a great way to round off a hot pot meal. They are filling and cook quickly. You will likely find udon, vermicelli, chow mein, and shangdong noodles on most hot pot menus. If you are trying to cut down on carbohydrates, you can opt for yam noodle bundles or shirataki noodles.

Noodles are best added towards the end of your hot pot meal. After you are about halfway through, add your chosen noodles to the hot pot and stir them gently. Cook them for a couple of minutes or until they are soft. The noodles will soak up the broth that has been flavoured by all the food you have cooked in it.

If you are making hot pot at home, you can use instant ramen, rice, glass noodles, or frozen sanuki udon. If you are using instant ramen, use the noodles but save the flavour packets for something else. For rice, first remove any lingering hot pot ingredients from the broth and then add cooked rice. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often so the rice doesn't burn. Glass noodles 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.

If you are using frozen udon, Chef Sze recommends letting them thaw and then soaking them in hot water for 30 seconds before adding them to the hot pot.

Frequently asked questions