China (1.12.23)
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Recipes contributed by Hu Mengrong.
It's said that hot pot originated in the northern region of China, where hungry soldiers would use their helmets and shields as bowls and grills to cook their meals after a long day of riding horses. Nowadays, most people use electricity to heat a pot of broth (most modern pots even have a divided bowl, for separating mild and spicy broths), and it's a social activity enjoyed by family and friends across China -- and across the world. Meng Meng and Mrs. Yang returned to the library to share this unique communal experience with us. Click here to download these recipes. Want to try more Chinese recipes? Click here for the archive from our program in 2012. Click here for the archive from our program in 2013. Click here for the archive from our program in 2015. Click here for the archive from our program in 2022. |
Hot Pot
1. Get a hot pot: An electrical divided hot pot or hot pot with charcoal.
2. Make a good broth (or buy in an Asian store):
4. Each diner creates their own small bowl of dipping sauce to stir together and plunge your broth-cooked ingredients before eating. You can use...
6. Start by adding whatever takes the longest to cook (hardy veg, mushrooms) or will impart more flavor (meats). A word to the wise: Be prepared when adding flavor sponges (tofu, napa cabbage) to spicy broths, because they can absorb heat and can become overwhelming to eat.
7. Remember: Feed your friends!
8. If there are leftovers (haha), here's a tip: strain the ingredients and store the broth in a separate container. Otherwise, the ingredients will soak up the liquid and get a bit soggy (but it will all still be delicious!).
Ingredients for Cooking:
Feel free to cook anything you like! Here are some classic foods to start with:
PROTEIN
Sliced beef: usually brisket or chuck
Prep: Thaw, if frozen.
Cook time: 8 seconds (which is about when the quick-cooking meat hits medium), but up to 1 minute depending on your preference. Cook it the way you like your steak.
Shrimp dumplings
Prep: Shrimp dumplings can be found in the refrigerated or freezer section of most Asian supermarkets. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Cook time: About 5 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked all the way through.
LEAFY VEGETABLES: Any vegetable you can think of, you can put it in a hot pot!
Spinach
Prep: Rinse once more.
Cook time: No more than 2 minutes.
Chrysanthemum greens
Prep: Rinse once more.
Cook time: No more than 3 minutes—you want textural contrast.
Napa cabbage
Prep: Pull the leaves from the head and cut vertically into three long slices.
Cook time: 5 minutes.
HARDY VEGETABLES
Lotus root
Prep: Peel and cut into ½” thick rounds.
Cook time: 5-10 minutes.
Potato
Prep: Slice into thin rounds, which will cook fast and won't add too much starch to the broth.
Cook time: 10-15 seconds.
MUSHROOMS
Enoki and beech mushrooms
Prep: Chop off the roots and pull apart into small clumps.
Cook time: 10 minutes or so.
MISCELLANEOUS
Fried bean curd
Prep: You are off the hook for this one!
Cook time: 10 seconds or as long as it takes to unravel.
Sea kelp
Prep: Soak for 30 minutes.
Cook time: 5 minutes or as long as it is soft and crunchy.
2. Make a good broth (or buy in an Asian store):
- Pork bone broth with Chinese herbs
- Tomato broth
- Chilli broth
4. Each diner creates their own small bowl of dipping sauce to stir together and plunge your broth-cooked ingredients before eating. You can use...
- Chopped aromatics (spring onions, garlic, ginger, cilantro)
- Sauces (soy, sesame, peanut, chili powder, vinegar, oil),
6. Start by adding whatever takes the longest to cook (hardy veg, mushrooms) or will impart more flavor (meats). A word to the wise: Be prepared when adding flavor sponges (tofu, napa cabbage) to spicy broths, because they can absorb heat and can become overwhelming to eat.
7. Remember: Feed your friends!
8. If there are leftovers (haha), here's a tip: strain the ingredients and store the broth in a separate container. Otherwise, the ingredients will soak up the liquid and get a bit soggy (but it will all still be delicious!).
Ingredients for Cooking:
Feel free to cook anything you like! Here are some classic foods to start with:
PROTEIN
Sliced beef: usually brisket or chuck
Prep: Thaw, if frozen.
Cook time: 8 seconds (which is about when the quick-cooking meat hits medium), but up to 1 minute depending on your preference. Cook it the way you like your steak.
Shrimp dumplings
Prep: Shrimp dumplings can be found in the refrigerated or freezer section of most Asian supermarkets. Set aside for 15 minutes.
Cook time: About 5 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked all the way through.
LEAFY VEGETABLES: Any vegetable you can think of, you can put it in a hot pot!
Spinach
Prep: Rinse once more.
Cook time: No more than 2 minutes.
Chrysanthemum greens
Prep: Rinse once more.
Cook time: No more than 3 minutes—you want textural contrast.
Napa cabbage
Prep: Pull the leaves from the head and cut vertically into three long slices.
Cook time: 5 minutes.
HARDY VEGETABLES
Lotus root
Prep: Peel and cut into ½” thick rounds.
Cook time: 5-10 minutes.
Potato
Prep: Slice into thin rounds, which will cook fast and won't add too much starch to the broth.
Cook time: 10-15 seconds.
MUSHROOMS
Enoki and beech mushrooms
Prep: Chop off the roots and pull apart into small clumps.
Cook time: 10 minutes or so.
MISCELLANEOUS
Fried bean curd
Prep: You are off the hook for this one!
Cook time: 10 seconds or as long as it takes to unravel.
Sea kelp
Prep: Soak for 30 minutes.
Cook time: 5 minutes or as long as it is soft and crunchy.