Chinese fondue (Hot Pot)

Chinese fondue, also known as hot pot , is a true culinary journey to Asia, but surprisingly, it's also a dish very often prepared in Switzerland for the holiday season. This convivial dish brings family and friends together around a spicy broth, in which everyone cooks their favorite ingredients. With chicken , beef , shrimp , , Chinese cabbage , rice noodles, and bok choy , this version showcases fresh and varied ingredients for a flavorful experience. Simple to prepare and naturally gluten-free, this meal can be adapted to all tastes and dietary needs.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Cooking time 30 minutes

Total time 1 hour 30 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 6

Special diet: suitable for gluten-free diet

Ingredients

For the broth

Ready-made broth (You can find ready-made hot pot broths in Asian grocery stores. Otherwise, you can prepare it at home.)
2 L of chicken broth (gluten-free)
1 piece of fresh ginger (5 cm)
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 lemongrass stalks
2 star anise
1 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
A few pieces of Chinese dates
1 red chili pepper (optional, for a spicy broth)
A few fresh coriander leaves (for decoration)

For the ingredients to cook

Meats: (You can ask the butcher to slice the meats very thinly in advance.)
200g chicken fillet, cut into thin slices
200g of thinly sliced beef fillet
Seafood products:
200g raw , peeled shrimp
200g of scallops
Vegetables :
1/2 cabbage , cut into pieces
2 pak choi, cut in half
150g of mushrooms (shiitake or button mushrooms)
150g of bamboo shoots ( optional)
Support services:
200g of rice vermicelli
Dipping sauces: sesame sauce, gluten-free soy sauce, or sweet chili sauce

For the sauces

Sesame sauce:
4 tablespoons of tahini (sesame paste)
2 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp of mirin (or honey for an alcohol-free version)
1 clove of garlic, grated
1 tablespoon of water (or more to adjust the consistency)
Ginger sauce:
3 tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh coriander
1 tsp of sugar (or honey)

A Chinese fondue set

Preparation

1
1. Prepare the broth
- In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil.
- Add the ginger, garlic, lemongrass, star anise, soy sauce, dates, sesame oil, and chili (if desired).
- Simmer gently for 20 minutes to infuse the flavors.
- When it's time to eat, transfer some of the broth into the fondue pot and keep it warm. Depending on the temperature, the broth can reduce very quickly, so I add more little by little. I received this Chinese fondue set .
2
2. Prepare the ingredients
- Arrange the meats, seafood, and vegetables on separate platters or plates. I prefer to blanch the vegetables beforehand for faster cooking in the fondue.
- Soak the rice vermicelli in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain them.
3
3. Prepare the sauces
For the sesame sauce:
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until you get a smooth and homogeneous texture.
- Adjust the consistency with a little water according to your preferences.
For the ginger sauce
- Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
- Stir in the sesame oil and fresh coriander.
4
4. Serve and enjoy
- Place the fondue set in the center of the table.
- Each guest chooses their favorite ingredients: generally, we dip the vegetables in the hot broth. We grill the meat and fish on the central grill, basting them with broth. Depending on the ingredient, cooking takes between 30 seconds and 2 minutes.
- Once cooked, the food can be dipped in sauces before being eaten.

Note

Variations : Add fish or meat balls to enrich your hot pot.

Spices : Customize the spiciness level of the broth by adjusting the amount of chili pepper.

Keywords: traditional Chinese fondue, gluten-free hot pot, Chinese recipes, Chinese New Year recipe, holiday recipes