火鍋 - Hot Pot 101

If you've been reading my blog, you should have a general idea of what a hot pot is. But if this is your first time, and you have no idea what a hot pot is... today is your lucky day!

火鍋 - fire pot or hot pot. Hot Pot is a traditional Chinese dish that's been around for over 1000 years! Basically, a hot pot is a simmering pot in the middle of the table and the ingredients are being placed in the broth throughout the whole meal... usually the cooked food is eaten with the dipping sauce.



I love hot pot! Hot pot is a great conversation meal when you want to have friends and family over. Now let me show you how I prep my hot pot!

Step 1 - Equipments

Get a portable gas stove burner! I spent around $15 on my burner... You can order it via the internet as well, here is a link.



Get a pot!  you can either get a metal pot or a clay pot.  I have a "half-and-half" pot, it is made specially for spicy and non-spicy broth.



Get a mesh strainer!  It's not required... but it makes scooping food much easier!



Step 2 - Grocery Shopping

I do most of my hot pot grocery shopping at Asian supermarkets like 99 Ranch Market or Shun Fat Supermarket.  If you don't live around an Asian market, don't worry I will show you different alternatives to preparing a hot pot meal :)

Here is a shopping list if you want to do it right. (ingredients vary, can include but not limited to):

• Chicken broth - I like the canned broth from the Asian markets, I'm sure the fancy Whole Foods broth works as well.  It's just broth, right? hah
• Mushrooms - preferably Enoki mushrooms or Shiitake mushrooms.
• Vegetables - tomato, broccoli, cabbage, napa cabbage, green onion, and/or tong hao (garland chrysanthemum)
• Meats - meat slices is the key! thinner the better.  You can find thin meat slices easily at any Asian markets,  but if Asian markets aren't available... I'm sure you can ask any butcher to slice the meat for you :)  Seafood is encouraged, get some shrimp, crab meat, clams, oysters, etc.  Personally I love the surf and turf style when it comes to hot pot, it adds more additional flavors in the broth.  
• Fish balls - where can one get fish balls? Asian Market!  If you don't have access to an Asian market... yer-shit-outta-luck. (there's no substitute for good fish balls... sorry)
• Hot pot dumplings - you can purchase specially made hot pot dumplings at your local Asian market as well... freezer isle :)
• Condiments - soy sauce, Satay sauce (must have), Sriracha (rooster sauce), and sesame sauce.
• Taiwan Beer

That should get you started on your very first hot pot!

Step 3 - Prepping

Start the broth.  Mix a can of chicken broth water in the pot, fill the mixture up to about 70% full.  Throw in a few large chopped pieces of green onions and large tomato slices (slice em like oranges).  Let it simmer on the stove while you prep.  If you want a spicy broth, you can get some "numb-spicy" sauce at the Asian markets.



Prepping is the most important stage of creating a memorable hot pot experience.   Since everyone is cooking their own food, all your raw ingredients should be served fresh.  Vegetables should be chopped to nice bite size and the meats should be sliced (sliced meat cooks faster than meat chunks).  Seafood should be washed and cleaned throughly, remember to store the seafood plates in the fridge until it's time to serve.

If you are serving fish balls,  Just leave the balls out on the counter (on a plate) and let it defrost a little while you prep.

During the whole prepping process, your broth should still be simmering on the stove.

Step 4 - Setting Up the Table

Make sure everyone has their own

• dipping dish (small plate or bowl)
• plate
• rice bowl (I like to have my hot pot with a nice bowl of rice)
• chopsitcks (forks are not allowed)
• soup spoon (its optional, but if you want to taste the broth at the end of the meal... you definitely need a soup spoon)
• napkins or paper towels (hot pot can get pretty messy)

You get your own combination of dipping sauce, mine consists of one part Satay sauce and one part soy sauce.  If you want to make it spicy, add some Sriracha or hot sauce.  Japanese hot pot usually has some kind sesame sauce or peanut sauce... I mean, this is your time to be creative... so don't limit yourself!

Put the portable burner in the center of the table and all the ingredients anywhere around the main pot.  Once the table is set and all the cooking ingredients are in position, you can then remove the broth from the stove and place it on the portable burner.  Turn on the burner to high heat... wait for the broth to boil (If your broth has trouble getting to a boiling point, check your gas cans... it might be out).



There are more photos of ingredients in this slideshow! Click the play button!


Once the broth is boiling and you got your own dipping sauce... you can start placing the ingredients in the broth! Now, let the hot pot madness begin!