Chinese Hot Pot at Home

Method8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Plan a menu for six: choose 1–2 leafy greens, 1–2 other vegetables, 1–2 mushrooms, 2–3 meat or seafood options, 1–2 starches and 2–3 tofu or bean-curd options. Choose dipping-sauce ingredients to taste; the lists are alternatives. Set up a stable tabletop heat source, a wide shallow pot, individual bowls and clean serving utensils. If using dried bean-curd sticks, start ahead: soak them in warm water for 3–4 hours, until pliable throughout. Drain and cut into 5 cm pieces. Skip this soak if not using them.

   Bean-curd-stick soak: check after 3 hours · 180 minUses Chosen dried bean-curd sticks for soaking · Warm water for the chosen bean-curd sticks

2. 2

   Step 2: If choosing mung bean vermicelli, soak it in warm water for about 10 minutes until softened, then drain. If choosing dried wood ears, soak them separately until completely reconstituted, rinse away grit and remove woody ends. Keep the two drained ingredients separate.

   Mung bean vermicelli soak · 10 minUses Chosen mung bean vermicelli · Chosen dried wood ears · Separate soaking and rinsing water, as needed

3. 3

   Step 3: Wash and trim the chosen vegetables and fresh mushrooms. Leave small baby greens whole and cut large leaves into 2.5–5 cm pieces. Slice lotus root, potato, sweet potato and pumpkin about 6 mm thick; cut daikon and winter melon into 2.5 cm chunks, tomatoes into wedges and corn ears into 2.5 cm segments. Trim enoki bases and separate into small bundles; trim and thinly slice king and shiitake mushrooms, clean oyster mushrooms, and separate shimeji. Include the drained, cleaned wood ears from step 2 if chosen. Arrange these ingredients on clean plates.

   Uses Chosen baby bok choy for washing and cutting · Chosen napa cabbage for washing and cutting · Chosen choy sum for washing and cutting · Chosen spinach for washing and cutting · Chosen pea tips for washing and cutting · Chosen watercress for washing and cutting · Chosen AA Choy/Cai for washing and cutting · Chosen Chrysanthemum Leaves for washing and cutting

4. 4

   Step 4: Keep meat and seafood chilled while preparing them. Use thinly sliced hot-pot beef, pork or lamb, or slice whole cuts thinly against the grain with clean separate tools. Thinly slice boneless chicken and fish; prepare shrimp, scallops and squid in manageable pieces. Put each raw protein on a separate plate, away from ready foods and sauce ingredients. If using meat or seafood balls, fish cakes or fish tofu, choose ready-cooked products and follow their package heating directions. Keep uncooked supplies chilled and bring out small amounts as needed.

   Uses Chosen Beef for its separate chilled plate · Chosen Pork shoulder or loin for its separate chilled plate · Chosen Pork belly for its separate chilled plate · Chosen Lamb shoulder or leg for its separate chilled plate · Chosen Boneless chicken breast or thighs for its separate chilled plate · Chosen Fish fillets for its separate chilled plate · Chosen Shrimp for its separate chilled plate · Chosen Scallops for its separate chilled plate

5. 5

   Step 5: Prepare the chosen starches and tofu. Parboil rice vermicelli according to its package, rinse with cold water and drain. Set out the drained mung bean vermicelli from step 2 if chosen. Prepare fresh white or spinach noodles and shirataki according to their labels; choose thin oval rice cakes and small frozen dumplings, keeping the dumplings frozen until cooking. Set out the drained bean-curd sticks from step 1 if chosen. Leave soy puffs whole or halve them, cut frozen or firm tofu into 2.5 cm pieces, and portion bean-curd rolls, fresh tofu sheets and pressed tofu into manageable pieces. Keep prepared items on clean separate plates.

   Uses Chosen drained mung bean vermicelli from step 2 · Chosen Rice vermicelli for preparing and plating · Chosen Thin fresh white noodles for preparing and plating · Chosen Fresh spinach noodles for preparing and plating · Chosen Shirataki noodles for preparing and plating · Chosen Rice cakes for preparing and plating · Chosen Frozen dumplings for preparing and plating · Chosen drained bean-curd sticks from step 1

6. 6

   Step 6: Prepare the selected soup-base packet with its directed amount of water, or use ready stock. Put the prepared broth in the wide shallow pot on the stable tabletop burner and bring it to a full boil. Arrange the prepared vegetable, protein, starch and tofu plates within reach, keeping raw protein separate and using separate utensils for raw handling and cooked serving.

   Uses Prepared broth, in the amount needed for the chosen pot · Chosen prepared vegetables and mushrooms from step 3 · Chosen chilled protein plates from step 4 · Chosen prepared starches and tofu from step 5

7. 7

   Step 7: Have each diner mix a small personal dipping sauce. Start with a chosen base of sesame paste or sauce, peanut butter or sauce, soy sauce or Sha Cha sauce. Add chosen sesame or Sichuan peppercorn oil, chili oil or chili-garlic sauce, vinegar, white pepper, toasted sesame, minced garlic, chopped scallions or cilantro, or fried shallots or garlic. Taste and adjust with the ingredients selected; no fixed ratio is needed. Keep the sauce bowls away from raw-meat utensils.

   Uses Chosen Chinese sesame paste or sauce for individual dipping sauces · Chosen Peanut butter or peanut sauce for individual dipping sauces · Chosen Soy sauce for individual dipping sauces · Chosen Sha Cha sauce for individual dipping sauces · Chosen Sesame oil for individual dipping sauces · Chosen Sichuan peppercorn oil for individual dipping sauces · Chosen Chili oil/sauce for individual dipping sauces · Chosen Chili garlic sauce/sambal oelek for individual dipping sauces

   
8. 8

   Step 8: Cook and eat in small batches while keeping the broth boiling; do not overcrowd it. Add thicker roots and shiitake early, then add other chosen vegetables, mushrooms, tofu and starches as space permits. Cook mushrooms thoroughly and roots until tender. Cook noodles and rice cakes to their package endpoints; small frozen dumplings have a 7–10-minute guide, but their filling must be fully cooked. Heat ready-cooked balls and fish products thoroughly according to the package. Cook chicken to 74°C/165°F; cook whole-cut beef, pork and lamb slices to 63°C/145°F and rest them on a clean plate for at least 3 minutes before eating. Cook fish to 63°C/145°F or until opaque and flaking, and shrimp and scallops until pearly and opaque; cook squid through. After adding raw meat or seafood, let the broth return to a full boil and keep all foods cooking until their endpoints are met before removing any for eating. Use clean serving utensils to lift fully cooked food, dip in the personal sauces and eat. Continue with the remaining chosen supplies, keeping uncooked protein chilled until needed.

   Uses The boiling broth from step 6 · Small selected draws of vegetables and mushrooms from step 3 · Small selected draws of meat, seafood or ready-cooked products from step 4 · Small selected draws of starches and tofu from step 5 · Personal dipping sauces from step 7, for eating the fully cooked foods