Homemade hot pot with soup and noodles

Hot pot is more of an evening than a dish. In the middle of the table, a pot of seasoned broth with a strong mala base bubbles, and around it everyone sits with chopsticks and at their own pace – a thin slice of beef here, a handful of enoki mushrooms there, and all the while, conversation flows. It is China's ultimate communal meal, and the beauty of it is that no one has to stand alone by the stove. Finally, you cook udon noodles in the soup, which has now absorbed the flavors from everything that has passed through it.

• Cuisine: Chinese
• Time: 60 minutes
• Servings: 4 people
• Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Place a wide-bottomed pot on a tabletop induction hob or gas burner in the middle of the table, and fill it with broth and mala hot pot concentrate. Bring it to a gentle simmer.
2. Slice the beef and chicken into paper-thin slices – this is easier if the meat is semi-frozen. Place the raw chicken on its own plate, completely separate from the beef and other ingredients, to prevent cross-contamination from raw poultry.
3. Rinse and chop the napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and spring onions, and cube the tofu. Arrange the vegetables, tofu rolls, and tofu on platters. Ensure that the utensils used for placing raw meat into the pot do not touch the cooked food – ideally, use a separate stick or spoon for raw poultry.
4. Mix a couple of dipping sauces: a mild one with light soy sauce, sesame oil, and garlic, and a spicy one with chili bean paste and spring onions.
5. Let each person cook their own pieces in the bubbling soup. Thin beef can be removed after a few seconds, but chicken MUST be cooked until it is completely white throughout – allow 2-3 minutes, and check that there is no pink meat left before eating it. Mushrooms and cabbage should cook for a couple of minutes.
6. Dip in your favorite sauce as you go, and eat at your leisure while keeping the pot simmering.
7. Finish the meal by cooking udon noodles in the now deeply flavorful soup, ladle into bowls, and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Tips

• Cut everything thinly and uniformly so it cooks in just a few minutes and doesn't fall apart.
• Make both a mild and a spicy dip so everyone can find their preferred flavor – and also provide chili oil and rice vinegar on the side.
• For a vegetarian hot pot, use a rich mushroom broth and load it with tofu, tofu rolls, corn on the cob, noodles, and plenty of greens.
• Skim the soup during cooking and have an extra pot of broth ready – it evaporates quickly when simmering for an hour.