Simple Hot Pot

Serves: 3-4

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: As you eat

Eating hot pot feels like a warm hug and a celebration for my family. We break it out each birthday, or anytime someone has something positive we want to acknowledge. Each of us have our favorite ingredients which all meld together to make a delicious broth and meal. All you need is a handful of vegetables, proteins, starches and a dipping sauce passed on from our extended family in Taiwan.

Vegetables:

Napa cabbage

Bok Choy

Shiitake mushrooms

Enoki mushrooms

Watercress

Protein:

Shaved lamb shoulder

Fresh shrimp

Cod, sliced

Traditional tofu

Starches:

Mung bean noodles, cooked and cooled according to the package

For Dipping:

Soy sauce

Tahini

Rice vinegar

Dry vermouth

Chili flakes (to taste)

Green onions, chopped (large handful, but the more the merrier)

Bullhead Barbecue Sauce, for serving, optional

Special Equipment:

Zojirushi Electric Hot Pot / Skillet

Instructions

1. Rinse, and prep all your ingredients. Assemble your ingredients on separate plates (greens, raw meat, raw seafood, starches) on the table.

2. In a small or medium mixing bowl, add in your dipping sauce ingredients and mix well. You'll start with equal parts soy sauce, tahini, rice vinegar and dry vermouth, and then can adjust to taste.

3. Set up your electric hot pot on the table and fill ¾ with water. Set the hot pot to boil and turn down to simmer until you’re ready to eat.

4. Ensure each person has a small bowl with 1-2 ladles of sauce in it, a serving of noodles, and a pair of chopsticks/eating ware.

5. Turn the heat back up again and add in a little bit of everything you want to eat. Things will cook pretty quickly, so once they are ready, you can use serving utensils to add them to your noodle bowl. Mix gently to fully incorporate the flavors of the cooked food and the sauce, optionally add in a touch of bbq sauce for an added texture/flavor, and enjoy!

NOTE: If you don’t have an electric hot pot, you can use a butane single burner stove and a large but shallow pot. I would suggest 3 people maximum for each pot.

NOTE: I throw in a little bit of the shiitake mushrooms, vegetables and tofu in early (before starting) to get a head on creating a broth.

NOTE: You can buy as much of any ingredient as you want. It really is totally up to you!