Homemade Hot Pot is one of the greatest family meal recipes of all time.

INGREDIENTS:

Broth:

• 4 chicken drumsticks

• 4 chicken thighs

• 1 bunch green onion

• 1-inch knob ginger

• 1 head garlic, cut in half

• Water to cover

Spicy Soup Base:

• 2 tablespoons (7g) red Sichuan peppercorns

• 2 tablespoons (7g) green Sichuan peppercorns

• 3-star anise

• 2 cinnamon sticks, charred and crushed

• 1.5 cups (308g) tallow

• 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil

• 1 pint (55g) dried chili pods, seeded

• 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 5 green onions, finely chopped

• 3-inch knob ginger, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup (105g) doubanjiang

• 3 tablespoons (65g) fermented black bean paste

• 5 bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons (25g) dried shiitake mushrooms powder

• 1 tablespoon (15g) sugar

• 2.5 teaspoons (11g) MSG

• 3 tablespoons (35g) Shaoxing wine

• 1.5 quarts (1.4L) chicken stock

Regular Soup Base:

• 2 quarts (1.9L) chicken stock

• 5 dried shiitake mushroom, rehydrated

• 1 pinch ground white pepper

• 3-4 Chinese jujube

• 2-inch knob ginger, sliced

• 4 green onions

• Salt to taste

Fixings:

• Garlic Sesame Oil- 3 tbsp (28g) sesame oil, 3 cloves garlic grated, Smoked flakey salt to taste

• Vinegar Soy- 3 tbsp (40g) soy sauce, 3 tbsp (40g) Chinese black vinegar

• 1 box thinly sliced wagyu beef

• 1 box thinly sliced regular shabu shabu beef

• 1/2 lb (227g) trumpet mushrooms, sliced

• 1/2 lb (227g) honshimeji mushrooms, bottoms cut off

• Thinly sliced beef

• Fresh Noodles

• 4 baby bok choy, quartered

• 1 head Napa cabbage, half and cut into large strips

• 1 bag Chinese rice cakes

• 1 fresh bag of dumplings

INSTRUCTIONS:

Broth:

1. Place all ingredients in a stockpot, cover with water, bring it to a light boil over medium heat and reduce to a simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours.

2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve.

Spicy Soup Base:

1. Add red and green Sichuan peppercorns to a blender, star anise, cinnamon sticks, and blend as fine as possible.

2. In a medium saucepot, add beef fat (tallow) vegetable oil, heat that over medium heat, once the fat gets melted, add chili pods, and lightly fry them until crisp and lightly darken.

3. Strain the oil into a heatproof container and place the strained oil back into the pot. Let the chilis cool down and blend them at high speed until very fine.

4. To your warm oil, add ginger, green onions, and ginger; then turn that over medium heat and sweat for one minute or until fragrant, then add doubanjiang, black bean paste, bay leaves, shiitake powder, and your Sichuan spice mix.

5. Once it starts to bubble, add your blended fry chilis, and let that cook, stirring occasionally for seven to ten minutes or until it becomes a dark red.

6. Remove bay leaves, add sugar and MSG, stir that in, and add Shaoxing wine; cook for one more minute, then add everything to a blender and blend until smooth as possible at high speed.

7. Pour the mixture into a 8 x 8” baking pan, spread it out evenly, and optionally top with a couple of whole red chilis. Cover with plastic wrap, place in the fridge, and cool until completely solid. Divide it into 4 to 6 pieces, depending on how spicy you want your soup base.

Regular Soup Base:

1. Assembly - Fill both sides of your hot pot with your stock and set it up to medium-high. Non-spicy side: add shiitake mushroom, a pinch of ground white pepper, Chinese jujube, ginger, and green onions.

2. Spicy side: Add one block of your spicy soup base and let it dissolve. Season both sides with salt to taste.