Well, I hadn’t actually given much thought to what I’d do for Chinese New Year this year and so defaulted to my family’s usual meal of Chinese hotpot, or steamboat. Only thing was my family’s spread around the world this year and it was just going to be me and Blai. So, what goes into a hotpot for just two?
Well, pretty much the same as in any hotpot only we stick to our favourites and keep the quantities manageable! Sliced pork (so paper thin!), beef balls, fish cake, enoki mushrooms, fresh shitake mushrooms, choi sum. Again, we cooked it as we always have in my family, in plain water, as the ingredients cooking in there will give flavour to the eventual stock. We’ll try simmering a few aromatics in there next time though.
After all the food was eaten up and the cooking stock was then extra flavourful, we tossed in a small packet of mung bean vermicelli and a couple of eggs. That was some super soup!
I have written about hotpot before and a general guide can be found at this post. It’s fun, it’s easy, and it’s actually healthy too! I’ll be making it again this winter so long as the weather stays cold.
As an attempt to unstress this past weekend, I even put together this lantern from some red packets (ang pow) that I received free when I bought the sliced pork (strange gift, no?). I remember doing something similar in school in Singapore when I was about seven years old but that ended quite unhappily as I managed to put a staple through my finger. Luckily, there were no mishaps this time.
Oh, and if you’re curious, the lantern is hanging from an ornamental saw, a traditional Thai instrument I got for Blai when I was in Chiang Mai.
Tamarind and Thyme 
Tue, 27 Jan, 2009 at 21:46
Mmmm! Hot pot is always a good idea – my own parents had hot pot for new year’s eve 🙂 We usually like to add some thickly sliced corn cobs into the water for extra sweetness (plus I love eating boiled corn!).
Can I ask, where do you get your thinly sliced pork from? Admittedly I haven’t been looking too hard, since I’ve been scared off by the prices of shabu shabu meat at Japan Centre…
Tue, 27 Jan, 2009 at 22:32
I’ve seen frozen thinly sliced meat in New Loon Moon in Chinatown…
I’m going to try and convince the parents to invest in a hot pot. Purrrrlease!
Wed, 28 Jan, 2009 at 02:34
I had a simple steamboat for two too, hehe … Your soup looks super thick and rich at the end. Wishing you an ox-picious and happy niu year!~
Wed, 28 Jan, 2009 at 10:53
I haven’t tried hotpot or steamboat, a friend of mine keeps suggesting we go around to her place to do so but we never seem to make a firm plan. I’m excited to try it but I’m not sure what I’ll make of it, it’s quite an alien concept to me.
Wed, 28 Jan, 2009 at 12:44
I love hot pot! It’s simple and delicious! HAppy New Year!
Wed, 28 Jan, 2009 at 14:07
I like your hotpot idea for a quiet CNY. When I was growing up, I looked forward to adding in quail’s eggs (the little yolks are uniquely creamy), though now that I think about it, it’s kind of gross that we used the ones that came in a can.
Happy new year!
Wed, 28 Jan, 2009 at 16:12
Lizzie, I always do hotpot over here with my rice cooker! Not as great as a gas cooker you can control, but desperate times call for desperate measures… 😉
Wed, 28 Jan, 2009 at 19:12
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Wed, 28 Jan, 2009 at 23:29
Charmaine: I bought my sliced pork frozen at Hoo Hing. Another good place to buy lots of sliced meats (definitely frozen and possibly fresh) is New Malden, at the Korean supermarkets.
Lizzie: I agree with Charmaine – you can use your rice cooker. It’s a very studenty thing to do! If not, check out this bad boy!
wiffy: Oh yeah, we didn’t even top it up with any extra water! We ate everything! Hope your hotpot was nice too!
Ginger: Oh, do go if you’re invited! It’s such fun and a very social activity. Think of it as an Chinese fondue!
pigpigscorner: Isn’t it the best?! If it gets colder in London, I’m going to have it again.
American in London: You can get quails’ eggs in cans?! I learn something new everyday! Happy New Year!
mycookinghut: And to you – Happy Chinese New Year!
Thu, 29 Jan, 2009 at 14:15
Rice cooker? That’s a brilliant idea!! Thanks Charmaine!
Sat, 31 Jan, 2009 at 17:56
Gong Hei Fat Choi! Love your photos. I have to dig out my little gas stove, cylinders and other bits and pieces of hot pot equipment I’ve assembled over the years, and get cooking. My mum and other relatives always use a rice cooker. But as I don’t have one, I use a shallow Columbian clay pot on the gas stove.
Sun, 1 Feb, 2009 at 12:51
Chinese Hot Pot!
I learn something new every time I visit!
(Do you know the difference between a Lancashire hot pot and a Cumbrian hot pot?
The Cumbrian recipe starts ‘First, steal a sheep …’)
Sun, 1 Feb, 2009 at 22:13
Helen: Thanks! Yes, I saw your black Colombian pot in one of your previous posts, I think. I use a Japanese donabe and the tabletop butane burner.
travelrat: 😀 I had a “Lancashire hot pot” this other day. I put it in quotes as it was served as a braised chunk of meat with a pretty potato top. No pot in sight.