The Aimless Cook

Hotpot is usually eaten on the eve of Chinese New Year, but is a very popular way to have a nice, old fashioned get together with friends and family. The moment you see the incredible assortment of ingredients on the table and a steaming simmering pot of broth, you know you are in for an amazing experience.

It’s relatively simple to put together an amazing spread for you and your guests. If you are planning on inviting lots of people, make a list and have them each bring something different. Speaking of what to bring, let’s talk about equipment really quick.

Equipment and tools:

Hotpot is a dinner that is cooked on the tabletop, so a portable burner is a must. There are a couple types of burners available, depending on your budget. I have a butane gas burner that takes the cartridges. This type of burner is very affordable. You can get one at most Asian grocery stores or in outdoor stores for about $20. The butane cartridges are also cheap and come in packs of 8. Alternatively, you can buy an electric tabletop cooker that is a lot like an electric skillet, but larger and more open for communal cooking. These usually cost around $40-$50 depending on the model. Some have a cooking vessel for hotpot and a grill insert for yakiniku night!

Here is my donabe and butane burner for a sukiyaki meal

The cooking vessel is a earthenware pot called a donabe (do-na-bay) that is usually lidded and has a glazed interior and unglazed exterior. They are ovensafe as well as flameproof and hold heat quite well. Care must be taken using a donabe as the porous material can shatter if you try to apply heat when wet. Also when storing a donabe, you should keep it in the box it came in, since stacking on other pots or bowls, etc may cause hairline cracks. I have had mine for a number of years and it’s treated me well.

Asian housewares shops carry stainless steel vessels that are made especially for hotpot cooking. Some even have 2 sections, one for plain broth and one for spicy. Whether you choose the donabe or the steel, they are both quite affordable. 

If you have a lot of guests, think about having more than one place to cook so that your guests aren’t reaching over each other to get their food. 

Vegetables:

Carrots, sweet corn, napa cabbage, snow peas, green onion, daikon, mushrooms (shiitake, shimeji, enoki, crimini or white mushrooms all work well). Leafy greens cook fast, so be sure to cook briefly to preserve the crispness. Cabbage is one of my favourites to use because it adds some great flavour.

Meat:

Thinly sliced pork, beef, chicken, meatballs, prawns or fish balls. Tofu is also a great addition. Make sure you get something that’s medium to firm. The key to the ingredients is that you have them in bite-sized pieces. Meats should be thinly sliced to ensure fast cooking.

In the grocer’s freezer you can find a hotpot section with conveniently packaged portions of fish balls, tofu and thinly sliced meats.

Broth:

The broth for hotpot is very simple as well, and there are many ways you can go here. You can buy storebought broths, and many Asian groceries have “specially made hotpot broth” that come in a meat or vegetable base. You can also make your own broth by using dashi, chicken stock, or this simple super-basic starter broth made by adding some carrot and sweet corn to boiling water. The beauty of hotpot cooking is that as your guests start to cook the ingredients, the broth takes on all the flavours becoming more and more delicious throughout the meal.

There are a lot of different kinds of pre-made broth for hotpots, like this herbal mix for promoting health and regulating your chi.

Dipping sauce:

This is where things get interesting. I like to make a sweet and spicy dipping sauce by combining the following ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon Chinese red vinegar
• sriracha to taste (you can also use a dash of chili oil or some freshly chopped chili)
• a little brown sugar

There are also a  lot of great pre-made sauces available at the grocery and there’s no rules as to what you can or can’t use. Try some different ones and see what you like. Some of these great sauces can include ponzu, tempura sauce, sesame dressing, peanut sauce, satay sauce, hoisin, sambal oelek… You probably already have some of these great condiments in your fridge!

Seeing as it’s Chinese New Year, I have a few ingredients that are symbolic of this special holiday. Prawns for happiness, fish for abundance which I have as fish balls and fish paste stuffed in tofu. Dumplings are a symbol of wealth due to their resemblance to the ancient Chinese gold ingots. Noodles symbolize longevity and shouldn’t be cut and rice is always served with dinner since it is a sign of prosperity. Now this is a lot of food and that’s ok. Excess food is good and leftovers are encouraged. It’s a sign of savings in the coming year.

Here is a Japanese style hotpot or nabe dinner party with some good friends

So I hope this guide gives you some ideas for making your own hotpot at home.

Gong Hei Fat Choy! It’s Chinese New Year 2012 and what better way to celebrate then by making more food! Chinese potstickers, or Jiaozi are symbolic of wealth and prosperity due to their shape (they resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots) and are enjoyed during this festive time. Let’s make some Jiaozi!

Filling:

• 1/2 cup cabbage, finely minced
• 1/2 cup chives, finely chopped
• 1 thumb sized piece ginger, grated 
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
• 1 tbsp sesame oil

Wrappers:

• 1/2 cup water
• 2 cups flour

In a large mixing bowl, add all the filling ingredients and mix well until combined. Put in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to develop the flavours.

In another mixing bowl, put the water into the flour and begin to mix until you get a rough ball of dough. Since this dough has no eggs, you will having yourself a tough sparring partner for a while. This is normal. If you need to, add more water a few drops at a time until you get the mixture workable. You need to knead the dough on a floured surface for at least 10 minutes until smooth. Then set aside and let rest  for at least 10-15 minutes. 

Next, roll your dough into a long 1 inch thick ‘snake’ and then cut into 1 cm sections. Roll out the sections into flat 3 inch rounds and get ready to assemble. Grab a friend, your spouse, partner, kids or whoever wants to get their hands dirty and let’s make dumplings!

With all your ingredients handy, set up a work area with your bowl of filling, the wrappers and a small bowl of water for each person that’s going to be making the dumplings. You will also need a teaspoon for scooping the filling. 

Start by putting the wrapper on your palm and put a teaspoon full of filling into the center. Next, wet the outer edge of the wrapper with a wet finger. Then, simply fold the wrapper over the filling and seal the edges together until tightly closed. Make sure you squeeze out all the air as you close them. 

That was the basic seal. For a more fancy seal, just wet the edge and fold over the wrapper. This time, working from the left end of the seal to the right, make little pleats along the top edge until you close the dumpling. It takes practice, but you do enough of these and you’ll be a pro by the end of the batch.

To cook these beauties, you can do one of 3 things:

Boil:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add half the batch of dumplings and stir to ensure they’re not stuck together. When the water comes to a boil, add 1/2 cup of cold water. When they come to a boil again (3rd time) they’re done!

The potsticker method:

Also you can put them in a non-stick pan lightly oiled with about a teaspoon of sesame oil. Fry the dumplings on medium heat for about 5 minutes, then add a half cup of water to the pan, cover and steam until the water evaporates. Finally, uncover, gently take them out and serve.

Steam:

Simply place in a steamer and steam for 10 minutes. 

Dumplings are great on their own with a simple dipping sauce like this:

• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Chinese red vinegar
• chili oil, to taste
• brown sugar, to taste

Every time I make dipping sauce, it’s always different. It depends on your preference and what ingredients you have at the time. You can substitute sambal oelek for the chili oil or use fresh chilies. Sometimes, I use mirin or sake as well. It’s up to you and your creativity. Have fun and have a very happy and prosperous year!