Each year we have a family reunion to catch up with each other and, of course, this is usually centered around a meal. Our natural favorite for the colder seasons is the hotpot meal cooked over a camp stove with a large wok or pot. Half of the fun is choosing the ingredients and most of the preparation is in the selection and cutting of meats and vegetables.

Four to six of us can typically sit around a small table or if we have more people then the two groups sit at either end of a longer table. Each group shares a pot of bubbling broth in which each person cooks his own meat and vegetables with a wire ladle or large slotted spoon. Small individual dishes of sauces are provided so that each person can season the food to their own tastes.

Traditional hot pots are charcoal-fired and chimneyed but a chafing dish, wok, or heatproof casserole set over a camp stove works fine as well. (An electric stove will work as well.)

Here are some lists to get you started. One of the wonderful things about a hot pot is that you can add almost any meat or vegetable, creating a unique eating experience each time!

Hardware

Hot pot

• Wire ladles or slotted spoons (one for each person)
• Dishes for sauces
• Bowls (one for each person)
• Soup spoons
• Chopsticks

Staples

• Chicken broth (canned or homemade: quantity depends on your pot - you will need enough to fill your pot to about 1 1/2 inches below the lid of your hot pot and then allow extra broth for later when the adding as the food cooks.)
• White rice (1/2 cup uncooked for 4 persons)
• Thin noodles (vermicelli, Chinese mein, or Japanese somen: 1/4 pound uncooked for 4 persons)

Meats

• 1 whole boned chicken breast, cut in strips and marinated several hours in a mixture of 2 tablespoons each of soy sauce and salad oil, 1 teaspoon of chopped fresh ginger root, and 1 clove garlic
• 1 pound medium-sized shrimp, shelled, sliced lengthwise, and deveined
• 3/4 pound scallops, rinsed, dried and cut in half
• 1 jar (10 oz.) of oysters, well drained
• 3/4 pound flank steak, slice partially frozen meat very thin (cut in half lengthwise, then cut in 1/8 inch slices across the grain)

Vegetables

• 1 pound fresh soy bean cake (tofu)
• 1/4 medium-sized head of Chinese (nappa) cabbage separated into leaves
• 1/2 bunch spinach, separated into leaves with stems cut off
• 1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 pound snow, sugar, or Chinese pea pods
• 1 small head cauliflower broken into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 medium-turnips, thinly sliced
• Chopped green onion or parsley

Sauces

• Hot Chinese mustard
• Soy sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
• Chinese oyster sauce
• Chinese plum sauce
• Chinese hoi sin sauce
• Hot chili sauce

Directions

1. Prepare your choice of meats, seafoods, and vegetables. (Usually four or five meats and three or more vegetables make for a great meal.) Each item can be presented on its own dish when the group is smaller; otherwise a dish for each end of the table works very well for a larger group with a long table.
2. Each person should have their own ladle or slotted spoon and a bowl. If space allows, individual sauce dishes are ideal.
3. Before the meal begins, fill the pot about three-quarters full of boiling broth. Cover and return the broth to boiling. Keep some extra broth simmering nearby to add later, if needed.
4. Then the fun begins… each person puts a few items in a ladle and swishes it in the broth until the foods are just cooked (about a minute or less). Another less labor-intensive method is to put some foods in the broth and fish them out with chopsticks or a slotted spoon when done. Keep in mind that some foods take a little longer to cook and make sure some foods are completely cooked before eating (such as chicken).
5. Dip cooked foods in one of the sauces and eat with rice, repeating until you are full or until the meat and vegetables run out. (You will be amazed at how much you can end up eating since you are cooking and eating small pieces and therefore don't usually feel filled up.)
6. Add warm, drained cooked noodles or rice to the broth, bring to a boil, and then enjoy a bowl of delicious and nutritious soup!

So for your next dinner party (or family reunion), try something new and have a hot pot party!

Other party favorites from Grandma's Kitchen: