Chinese Hot Pot

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

Broth

  • 2 quarts chicken, pork or vegetable broth (prepared or canned)
  • 4 trimmed whole green onion stalks
  • 4 ginger slices, about ¼" thick
  • 4 garlic cloves

Dipping Sauce

  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • pinch or ¼ tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp chopped green onion

Allow ½ lb meat, seafood and/or vegetables for each person

  • Meat: Thinly sliced, less than ⅛", beef, pork, chicken etc., available in Asian markets or slice meat in partially frozen stage
  • Seafood:  Scallops, firm fish fillet slices, bite-size pieces of octopus, peeled medium shrimp
  • Vegetables: Baby bok choy leaves, Napa cabbage chunks, variety of fresh mushrooms, fried bean curd, etc.
  • Starches: Cellophane noodles or rice noodles (or rice cakes soaked in warm water for 20 minutes)

How-to

  1. Prepare dipping sauce according to taste
  2. Arrange meat, seafood, vegetable, starch foods in trays for easy reach and cooking
  3. Use portion of broth to fill the pot half full, When broth starts boiling, begin dropping meat or seafood items into the broth in small quantities.  Adjust heat to maintain the broth in a continuous gentle boil.  Ladle cooked food to individual soup bowl.  Optional: Dip into sauce before eating
  4. Add broth (or water) if liquid level becomes low
  5. Vegetables and starches can be added after enough meats and seafood start to enrich and intensify the soup flavor

Serving Suggestions

  1. Serve green tea or oolong tea along the meal.
  2. Hot pot can be accompanied by steamed buns, dinner rolls, etc.
  3. Pairing beverages: dry Riesling or light beer