Hot Pot

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1,250 ml chicken broth, beef or vegetable
• 250 g butter
• 125 g beans, salted black thick broad bean sauce)
• 50 g ginger, chopped
• 75 g chili, chopped
• 10 g pepper (Sichuan)
• 15 g salt
• 15 g sugar
• 30 ml rice wine
• 100 g rice, juicy, fermented sticky rice
• Butter, for frying
• 400 g beef fillet(s)
• 400 g turkey breast fillet(s)
• 400 g scampi
• 250 g mushrooms, various varieties
• 500 g vegetables, various varieties suitable for cooking
• 750 g rice noodles, cook beforehand and add to the pot only to heat

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

very spicy Chinese communal meal

Add butter to the wok and heat. Wait until the butter is really hot, then add the ginger, chilies, and black beans, letting the aromas spread and mingle. Now add the remaining ingredients to the wok. Let it all simmer until the broth/soup becomes slightly thick. The soup for the hot pot is now ready. Now pour the soup into a pot divided in the middle (available in well-stocked Asian supermarkets) and let it simmer there. Add regular broth to the other half of the pot (you can also use instant broth); this broth will later neutralize the spicy flavor. Choose the vegetables and mushrooms according to your own taste and cut them into normal portions, but don’t make them too small, otherwise you won’t be able to find them in the pot or it will be difficult to fish them out with chopsticks. You should soak the rice noodles in hot water beforehand so they become slightly soft and then only add them to the pot to heat up later, until they are al dente. The meat is best cut into small strips. You now have two options: 1. You simply throw the meat/scampi into the pot and try to find it before it’s overcooked, or 2. You put it on fondue forks, so you always have the meat/scampi in sight and know when it’s done, without having to search through the broth for a long time to find it. Normally, at a proper meal, everything is simply thrown into the pot and everyone helps themselves. One basic rule to consider here: just because you threw something into the pot you were hungry for doesn’t mean you automatically have a right to it. If someone else at the table reaches in and takes that piece, they can do so; no one should be mad at someone else for “taking” something away from them. To ensure everyone at the table has access to all the ingredients, you should divide everything between separate plates, from which everyone can then help themselves. To make the whole taste experience a little more intense, you can use different sauces for dipping and neutralizing the spiciness, such as peanut sauce, soy sauce, wasabi, and others, depending on your taste. The recipe is based on Chinese preparation; I received it with these instructions from a Chinese friend in Beijing. It’s a fantastic dining experience, and I’ve already captivated several of my friends. I hope you have fun at this event; enjoy this delicious and social experience.