Hotpots are a wonderful traditional Chinese way of eating: friends and family gather around a bubbling pot of broth on a portable stove with plates of meat, seafood and vegetables ready to be cooked in the soup. This is communal dining at its best, and the most memorable conversations are made over dunking fresh ingredients into hot, savory soup followed by dipping them into sauces.
Taking the world by storm is Haidilao Hot Pot, China's most popular chain of restaurants with more than 100 outlets in 60 Chinese cities, as well as more in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul. Here, they share recipes for some of their signature hot pot ingredients to help you up your steamboat game.
Taking the world by storm is Haidilao Hot Pot, China's most popular chain of restaurants with more than 100 outlets in 60 Chinese cities, as well as more in Los Angeles, Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul. Here, they share recipes for some of their signature hot pot ingredients to help you up your steamboat game.
Prawn paste. (Credit: Haidilao.)
Prawn Paste
500 grams fresh prawns
5 grams corn starch
Salt to taste
Crushed ice
1. Shell and devein the prawns and finely mince.
2. Add a pinch of salt and the corn starch.
3. Add the crushed ice and then knead the mixture until combined well.
4. Gather the mixture into a ball and pound the paste onto a cutting board repeatedly till you reach a springy consistency. Store in fridge till ready to cook.
5. To cook in the hotpot, use a spoon and scoop out small quenelles of prawn paste and drop into boiling soup. The prawn paste balls are ready to be eaten when they float to the surface, about 3 minutes.
500 grams fresh prawns
5 grams corn starch
Salt to taste
Crushed ice
1. Shell and devein the prawns and finely mince.
2. Add a pinch of salt and the corn starch.
3. Add the crushed ice and then knead the mixture until combined well.
4. Gather the mixture into a ball and pound the paste onto a cutting board repeatedly till you reach a springy consistency. Store in fridge till ready to cook.
5. To cook in the hotpot, use a spoon and scoop out small quenelles of prawn paste and drop into boiling soup. The prawn paste balls are ready to be eaten when they float to the surface, about 3 minutes.
Marinated beef. (Credit: Haidilao.)
Marinated beef
500 grams chuck steak
3 grams sesame seeds
15 grams powdered beef stock
12 grams chile powder
2.5 grams salt
3 grams baking soda
15 grams chile oil
50 grams vegetable oil
200 mililiters water
1. Slice the chuck steak into thin slices (about 3 millimeters).
2. Add the salt, baking powder and water to steak and mix well.
3. Add the powdered beef stock and chile powder and mix thoroughly by hand for about 2 mins.
4. Add in the chile oil and stir for another 2 mins.
5. Add in the vegetable oil and cover with cling wrap. Chill for 20 mins.
6. To cook in hotpot, add the beef slices into boiling soup and cook for about 5 mins.
500 grams chuck steak
3 grams sesame seeds
15 grams powdered beef stock
12 grams chile powder
2.5 grams salt
3 grams baking soda
15 grams chile oil
50 grams vegetable oil
200 mililiters water
1. Slice the chuck steak into thin slices (about 3 millimeters).
2. Add the salt, baking powder and water to steak and mix well.
3. Add the powdered beef stock and chile powder and mix thoroughly by hand for about 2 mins.
4. Add in the chile oil and stir for another 2 mins.
5. Add in the vegetable oil and cover with cling wrap. Chill for 20 mins.
6. To cook in hotpot, add the beef slices into boiling soup and cook for about 5 mins.
Homemade tofu cubes. (Credit: Haidilao.)
Homemade tofu cubes
500 grams soy beans, soaked for 8 hours or overnight
3 teaspoons gypsum
1. In a blender, pulse the soy beans and water in batches (1 cup soaked beans to about 2 cups water).
2. Strain the soy milk into a saucepot and bring it up to about 80-85°C.
3. Dissolve the gypsum in a cup of water. Add the gypsum solution a little at a time into the soy milk. The milk will start to coagulate and firm up. Add in gypsum till you reach your desired consistency.
4. Pour it into a mold and set something heavy on top of it. The tofu will firm up even more after about 4 mins.
5. To cook in hotpot, drop the tofu cubes into boiling soup for about 5 mins.
This article was written by Tang Jie and translated by Rachel Tan. Click here to read the original version of this story.
500 grams soy beans, soaked for 8 hours or overnight
3 teaspoons gypsum
1. In a blender, pulse the soy beans and water in batches (1 cup soaked beans to about 2 cups water).
2. Strain the soy milk into a saucepot and bring it up to about 80-85°C.
3. Dissolve the gypsum in a cup of water. Add the gypsum solution a little at a time into the soy milk. The milk will start to coagulate and firm up. Add in gypsum till you reach your desired consistency.
4. Pour it into a mold and set something heavy on top of it. The tofu will firm up even more after about 4 mins.
5. To cook in hotpot, drop the tofu cubes into boiling soup for about 5 mins.
This article was written by Tang Jie and translated by Rachel Tan. Click here to read the original version of this story.
