Hot Pot Party recipe

During the holiday season, I am the laziest cook I know. If there’s a shortcut to be discovered or a step to eliminate, I’m all over it. There’s no reason entertaining this time of year should be stressful. The host deserves to have some festive fun too, right? I’m convinced communal cooking is the key. But I’ve done the fondue thing, hosted supper clubs (where there’s always too many cooks in the kitchen) and even set up a taco bar. It’s time for a new version of the DIY meal. Enter the Asian hot pot.

What’s involved? Chop some veggies (you can do this ahead) and display them attractively on a platter, jazz up some store-bought chicken broth, and cook the shrimp and meat for all of three minutes. Guests pick what they want, pour the broth over, and voila! You have a fun (not to mention yummy) meal that’s a nice antidote to the season’s rich food.

For an appetizer, buy sushi, spring rolls or baked crab hand rolls (my personal favorite) from your favorite Japanese restaurant.

Read on for the recipe...

Asian Hot Pot

To prevent the hot pot from getting cold, keep some of the broth at a low simmer on the stove, and add it to the soup tureen as needed. To save time, buy shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined.

• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 4 green onions, finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons ginger, minced
• 1 pound beef tenderloin, very thinly sliced by your butcher
• 1 pound shrimp
• 8 ounces mixed wild mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
• 8 ounces snow peas, strings removed, thinly sliced lengthwise
• 2 baby bok choy, leaves removed, stems cut into matchstick-size strips
• 1 cup basil
• ½ cup cilantro
• Assorted sauces and condiments, such as soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha (Thai chili sauce) and sliced jalapeños

Heat chicken broth and next 4 ingredients in large pot over medium heat. Cover and bring to a simmer, about 15 minutes. Add the beef to the stock, then cover and continue cooking until beef is cooked through, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to the plate and set aside. Add the shrimp to the stock and poach for about 2 minutes, or just until cooked through. Using slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to plate and set aside. Season stock to taste with salt.

Cover stock and bring to a rapid boil over medium heat. Once it’s boiling, carefully transfer to a soup tureen. Arrange vegetables, herbs, beef and shrimp on platter, and serve with stock. Allow guests to place items from the platter into their bowls, and then ladle hot stock on top. Serve with sauces and condiments that can be stirred in.

Comments

I have done similar hot pots. They are fun. Another way to do it, would be to let the guests do their own cooking! Put the chicken both in an electric skillet or fondue pot and let them do their own poaching. You can use thinly sliced meats or small chunks of meats that would cook quickly. Veggies poach/par boil nicely too. Share the tasty broth over rice/noodles or plain with or without condiments.

Great idea! Top if off with Mochi ice cream for a real treat.

I bet individualized stir fry would be fun and easy too.

I wish I had these to serve the food in:
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=14140891

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