Verna Gao's solo hotpot
Serves 1
Easy
Prep:
Cook:
Verna Gao shows us how to make an easy hotpot for one with thinly sliced meat and fresh veg, an umami-rich soup base and moreish peanut butter dipping sauce
Skip to ingredients
SOUP BASE
DIPPING SAUCE
- 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter
- 1 tbsp chilli oil(adjust to taste)
- ½ tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlicgrated
- small handful of spring onionschopped
- small handful of fresh corianderchopped
SUGGESTED ADD-INS (CHOOSE A MIX)
- beef, pork, chicken or tofuthinly sliced
- shiitake, enoki or oyster mushrooms
- cabbage, pak choi or other greens
- carrot, daikon or other thinly sliced root veg
- fish balls or tofu
- cooked noodles or rice cakes(optional)
Method
step 1
Put all the broth ingredients in a small pot. Pour in 500-600ml water and whisk until everything dissolves, adding more water if needed. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5-8 mins. Taste and adjust – more soy if it needs more savoury flavour, more water if it’s too strong.
step 2
Make the dipping sauce by mixing the peanut butter with soy sauce and sesame oil in a bowl until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients. If it’s too thick, whisk in a teaspoon or two of hot broth.
step 3
Keep the broth gently simmering. Cook the harder vegetables first (carrot, daikon, cabbage stems), then the mushrooms and tofu. Add thinly sliced meat last as it will cook in 30-60 seconds. Finally, add the greens.
step 4
Lift pieces out, dip into the sauce, and continue in small batches. Top up with a little water if the broth reduces too much, and adjust seasoning as you go.
