Hot Pot
It’s hot pot season!!
I was first introduced to hot pot by my brother-in-law. He took me to a place in Chinatown, NYC (that no longer exists). The menu looked a bit overwhelming, with fish balls and 10 different ‘Chinese greens’, but he ordered and I was along for the ride!
The waiter placed a travel-size burner down and turned on the flame. On top, he placed a cauldron filled with broth, red chilies and spices. Soon the liquid was boiling and the raw ingredients arrived.
We cooked everything in the pot and I was hooked at first bite!!
When I moved to Boston, I noticed there were a ton of hot pot places in Chinatown, but they were expensive! So I decided to try it out at home – it was FANTASTIC!!!
My parents had given me an electric fondue pot, which works perfectly keeping the broth boiling, but you can buy a portable burner at most Asian markets.
I go to C-mart in Chinatown and buy all the ingredients:
These are the hot pot mixes I recommend
The spicy mix is pretty hot, so be careful!
Greens (any ones that look good to you) – I always get Yu Choy, Baby Bok Choy and something new. This time around I picked up a bag of Sweet Potato Leaves – YUM!!!
Mushrooms – a ton of them and different varieties
Sprouts
Snow Peas
Noodles – fresh ones, I recommend “Wife’s Noodles”
Thinly sliced meat – beef, lamb, pork
Seafood – shrimp, calamari
Peanut sauce – I like this one from Thai Kitchen, but you can make your own or get any brand you like
Put the mix in your pot, add water (and a boullion if you want), bring it to a boil (I also add a few pieces of ginger and garlic cloves, but that’s optional)
Add the ingredients in the order they cook: noodles, mushrooms, veggie stalks, meats, veggie leaves, sprouts and enjoy!
I serve it with white steamed rice (to counteract the spicy broth) and I add hot water whenever the broth level is down.
This is always a crowd-pleaser and looks very impressive, your guests won’t even realize that they are cooking dinner for themselves!
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