Chinese-style hotpot

Fill a cooking pot with broth, spiced with Sichuan pepper and chilli, then invites guests to poach their choice of ingredients in it – prawns, steak, tofu and chicken all work well

Prep:30 mins
Cook:40 mins

Serves 8
Easy

Nutrition per serving

kcal 739
fat 30g
saturates 6g
carbs 47g
sugars 0g
fibre 11g
protein 64g
salt 4.23g

Ingredients

300g tiger prawns , peeled and deveined, head and tail left on
250g beef sirloin , excess fat removed and thinly sliced
300g smoked tofu , drained and cut into 1 inch cubes
300g pork fillet , sinew removed, thinly sliced
4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs , sliced to strips
300g assorted seafood (we used scallops, fish balls and squid rings)
400g assorted vegetables (we used pak choi, Chinese cabbage, long-stem broccoli, carrots and red peppers), chopped
300g assorted mushrooms (we used oyster, chestnut, button, shiitake and wood ear fungus), halved or torn into large pieces
200g bean curd skin
400g assorted noodles (we used mung bean, vermicelli rice noodles, egg noodles)
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
3-4 dried long ‘chao tian jiao’ chillies
30g Sichuan peppercorns
1 tbsp chilli bean sauce
1.7l chicken or vegetable stock , hot
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 star anise
small handful of dried tangerine peel (optional)
50ml chilli oil
5cm piece ginger , peeled and sliced
½ Chinese cabbage , washed, leaves separated, sliced into 2.5cm thick pieces
3 spring onions , sliced at an angle
2 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
1 tbsp satay sauce
1 tbsp black rice vinegar
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp garlic , crushed
1 tsp ginger , grated
1 tbsp coriander , finely chopped
2 spring onions , finely sliced
1 egg yolk (optional)
1 tsp toasted white sesame seeds
1 tsp garlic , crushed
2 spring onions , finely chopped
2 tbsp low-sodium light soy sauce
2 tbsp black rice vinegar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

Method

To make the soup base, heat a large 2-litre wok or a deep, wide saucepan, over high heat and add the oil. Add the chillies and Sichuan peppercorns and toss for 5 seconds until fragrant.
Add the chilli bean sauce and pour in the stock. Add the dried Chinese mushrooms and star anise, dried tangerine peel (if using), then pour in the chilli oil, add the ginger and bring to the boil. Tip in the Chinese cabbage and boil for 2 mins before stirring in the spring onions.
Mix together the ingredients for both sauces in separate bowls and set aside.
Set up an electric induction hob in the centre of your dining table and surround it with plates of the your choice of the raw ingredients. Put the wok full of broth to simmer on the hob.
Each person can add their ingredients to cook in the broth and use a wired metal spoon to fish them out. Cook seafood, chicken and pork until completely opaque, and vegetables can be cooked to taste. Serve with the dipping sauces.