This is my adaptation to the Chinese Fondue, or Hot Pot. In Mandarin they call "huo guo": "huo" is fire, and "guo" is pan. Isn't it a simple language? It is a great comfort food. In cold days at the end of the dinner we're sweating, and we end up opening a little crack in the door, even with the cold and all that snow outside...
Here are the basics: you make a broth with some water and seasonings. Put some vegetables and thin slices of meat around the hot pot, and diners will drop these ingredients into the soup to cook. We "fish" the food with a slotted spoon and dip it in a mild or spicy sauce.
In China we used to buy ready-made sauces in the supermarket, but here it is difficult to find the good ones, so it's better to make our own. I had a peanut sauce in my friend Cindy's place, her dad showed me the ingredients. I developed my own sauce, based on theirs, only that I use easy to find ingredients. You don't need to look for them in an Asian shop.
Although we can make our own dipping sauce, I strongly recommend using the condiments for the broth that can be bought in a Chinese supermarket. Here I will show some packages with the brands I found in the Chinese grocery shop closer to my place in Michigan.
Later I will give alternate recipes for the broth, in case you don't find the prepared packages in your local Asian shops.
Peanut Sauce:
Ingredients (2-4 people):
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup canola or other vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped capers
Preparation:
Mix everything in a bowl. Take to the table where the hot pot is to be eaten.
Meat, noodles and vegetables for the hot pot:
Vegetables (Choose one or more):
Napa cabbage, cut in 1" squares
Chinese cabbage (Bok choy)
Spinach
Bean sprouts
Mushrooms
Corn (on cob, cut into pieces)
Firm tofu, cut into cubes
Meat and other (choose one or more):
Kani Kama (fish sticks)
Thinly sliced Sirloin steak or lamb
Shrimp, peeled and headless (raw)
Fish fillets, raw
Chicken, cut into thin strips
Fish balls
Lobster balls
Noodles (best is the "transparent"ones) - Soak them in hot water for some minutes, until they are soft, then drain.
Preparation of the vegetables, meat and noodles:
Put the chosen ingredients in plates, then take to the fondue table and arrange them there.
Preparation of the broth:
After everything else is prepared and done (including the plates, saucers and cutlery or chopsticks), also when the guests are ready, prepare the broth:
Bring the fondue pot to the stove to start the cooking process. Add the package of seasonings, some garlic and ginger, 4 or 5 shallots (white part) and water to 2/3 of the pan. Bring to a boil. Carefully take the boiling pan to the table with the fondue "machine".
Help your guests put some of the vegetables, meat and noodles in the boiling pan, let it get to a boil again, "fish" the items with slotted spoons and chopsticks. Eat.
Here are the basics: you make a broth with some water and seasonings. Put some vegetables and thin slices of meat around the hot pot, and diners will drop these ingredients into the soup to cook. We "fish" the food with a slotted spoon and dip it in a mild or spicy sauce.
In China we used to buy ready-made sauces in the supermarket, but here it is difficult to find the good ones, so it's better to make our own. I had a peanut sauce in my friend Cindy's place, her dad showed me the ingredients. I developed my own sauce, based on theirs, only that I use easy to find ingredients. You don't need to look for them in an Asian shop.
Although we can make our own dipping sauce, I strongly recommend using the condiments for the broth that can be bought in a Chinese supermarket. Here I will show some packages with the brands I found in the Chinese grocery shop closer to my place in Michigan.
Later I will give alternate recipes for the broth, in case you don't find the prepared packages in your local Asian shops.
Peanut Sauce:
Ingredients (2-4 people):
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup canola or other vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of sesame seed oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped capers
Preparation:
Mix everything in a bowl. Take to the table where the hot pot is to be eaten.
Meat, noodles and vegetables for the hot pot:
Vegetables (Choose one or more):
Napa cabbage, cut in 1" squares
Chinese cabbage (Bok choy)
Spinach
Bean sprouts
Mushrooms
Corn (on cob, cut into pieces)
Firm tofu, cut into cubes
Meat and other (choose one or more):
Kani Kama (fish sticks)
Thinly sliced Sirloin steak or lamb
Shrimp, peeled and headless (raw)
Fish fillets, raw
Chicken, cut into thin strips
Fish balls
Lobster balls
Noodles (best is the "transparent"ones) - Soak them in hot water for some minutes, until they are soft, then drain.
Preparation of the vegetables, meat and noodles:
Put the chosen ingredients in plates, then take to the fondue table and arrange them there.
Preparation of the broth:
After everything else is prepared and done (including the plates, saucers and cutlery or chopsticks), also when the guests are ready, prepare the broth:
Bring the fondue pot to the stove to start the cooking process. Add the package of seasonings, some garlic and ginger, 4 or 5 shallots (white part) and water to 2/3 of the pan. Bring to a boil. Carefully take the boiling pan to the table with the fondue "machine".
Help your guests put some of the vegetables, meat and noodles in the boiling pan, let it get to a boil again, "fish" the items with slotted spoons and chopsticks. Eat.
hot pot seasoning for the broth
noodles
Light food can take in evening, nice recipe
ReplyDeleteThanks
Mary
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