Are you as big of a fan of hot pot as I am? Ever thought of recreating that experience at home? If so, you’ve come to the right place! We’ll map out everything you’ll need to host your own hot pot feast. From the ingredients to the tools, we’ve got you covered!
What is Hot Pot?
Hot pot is an interactive meal where all the guests participate in the cooking. A simmering pot of flavored broth is placed in the center of the table and raw ingredients (seafood, veggies, noodles, etc…) are added to the pot. Guests cook their desired ingredients and then dip them in a tasty sauce before noshing. Hot pot is popular all throughout Asia. In this micro-tutorial, we’re gonna be focusing on a Chinese-style hot pot with oodles of fresh seafood.
The Tools
You’ll need a burner or hot plate (either electric or butane), a flat-bottomed pot or a specific divided pot (meant specifically for hot pot), wire or mesh skimmers, ladles, tongs, serving bowls (for the guests to retrieve their simmered ingredients), dipping dishes, chopsticks, and soup spoons.
The Broth
To save on time (and save from having an excessive ingredient list), we recommend using a pre-made hot pot soup base. My favorite bases come from a company called Little Sheep. Little Sheep is a hot pot restaurant chain that creates home-use pouches of ready to go soup bases (just add broth or water and boil). If you’re a fan of milder hot pots, try their original, mushroom, or bone broth bases. Looking for a kick? Try any of their spicy or mala bases. All are available online.
Hot Pot-Worthy Seafood
You want seafood that can stand up to the aggressive boil and bubble of traditional hot pot. Shellfish is perfect! Raw shrimp, lobster meat, scallops, crab legs, and mussels will all hold up well when boiled and will pair perfectly with both mild or spicy hot pot bases. Less delicate fin fish will work too, I recommend tuna and salmon. These meatier fish varieties are pretty hearty and tend to hold-up well under boiling temperatures.
Veggies & Starches
These ingredients are our supporting actors. Tasty, well-paired accompaniments that elevate the hot pot experience. For veggies, try a hearty assortment of the following; napa cabbage, bok choy, Chinese broccoli or spinach, enoki mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, bean sprouts, and scallions. Bean curd and tofu are also popular and, often, traditional additions; fried bean curd rolls, fried tofu, and extra firm tofu (to name a few).
You’ll certainly want some noodles and starches! Ramen noodles, glass or thin rice noodles, and long Chinese eggy noodles are all delicious. You could even include some tender rice cakes or stuffed dumplings.
Putting it All Together
You’ll want to give yourself a good hour of prep time before guests arrive. Start by making the soup, following the instructions on the packaging. Keep a pitcher of water or plain broth on the side for reconstituting or refilling the hot pot throughout the meal. Platter up your ingredients, making sure to keep the raw proteins separate from the veggies and noodles (food safety first!). And, keep the perishable ingredients refrigerated until ready to serve.
Set the table, placing the hot pot in the center. Make sure all of your guests have utensils to serve with, cook with, and eat with. Try to keep the utensils used for handling the raw ingredients separate. Make sure each guest has a serving bowl, dipping bowl, chopsticks, soup spoons, and plenty of napkins (hot pot is delicious, but it can get a little messy).
Make sure your guests are cooking their proteins thoroughly. Ingredients coming out of the hot pot will be very very hot. Best to have them rest for a beat in the serving bowl before eating (a brief cooling off period).
Simple Hot Pot Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
- ½ cup oyster sauce
- ½ cup light or low sodium soy sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons chili garlic crisp
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar or black vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons fresh scallions, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Pinch of sesame seeds
Instructions
Place the oyster sauce, soy sauce, chili garlic crisp, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a medium bowl, whisk to combine. Set the sauce aside, at room temperature to steep, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Right before serving, add the scallions, cilantro, and sesame seeds. Portion the sauce into dipping bowls.
Save Time, Get your Seafood Shipped
Need to stock up on some hot pot seafood? We have you covered! All of the fish and shellfish listed in this article (shrimp, lobster meat, scallops, crab legs, mussels, tuna and salmon) are available at our online store, cameronsseafood.com. No matter if you’re near or far, Cameron’s Seafood delivers the very best seafood directly to your door.
