Chinese Fire Pot

You can buy the fire pot from any chinese market usually near the rice cookers. If not just ask for the fire pot or hot pot.

Or if you have a slowcooker, just boil some water and dump it into the slowcooker and it will keep the water boiling.

What I like to do is add a little chicken broth to your water. Very little (just to start the stock) Wait til it gets very hot, maybe to a boil. Then start adding in all these goodies.

We use:
beef, chicken, pork, tripe, shrimp (whole with heads), squid (i dont like this but boyfriend does), clams, bok choy(or napa) or whatever veggie ya like.(we add shrimp balls also, i've only found these at chinese markets. (Put seafood all in with shells and all, makes the broth very good!)Cut the beef, pork, chicken up in very small slices. (I tend to put them in the freezer just for a few minutes. NOt to freeze them but to get them firm enough to slice in thin slices, also using a sharp cleaver is best)

Tofu is a great thing to add to it. I dont like tofu but it adds flavor, I just dont eat the tofu. hmm I'd say about 1/4 C. depending on how much of this all you intend on making.

For dipping sauce I use this ----

INGREDIENTS:
1 TB cup lemon juice or combination of lemon and lime juice.
1 TB cup soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1 tsp cup rice vinegar (I use white vinegar)
finely sliced green onion (just a little)


PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients together. Taste to adjust the proportion of ingredients. Use as soon as possible.


Now after you pulled out the meat and seafood and all and eat it, put the shells from clams or anything else u used and keep it boiling. This will make a great broth to eat. I love it!

I hope I didn't leave anything out, I probably did, but this gives ya an idea on what it is, and you can make any combo you like, it's all a matter of preference.

I go to Philadelphia to get this, in a restaraunt there this is $15 all you can eat (except seafood!) You only get one plate of seafood and as many plates of meat you want. Then ya cook it up on the table in your personal fire pot!

I'm not sure on the count of carbs this would be, but I'm sure by going to www.fitday.com you can add it up. Or if anyone else could be so kind as to add it

Darnit this made me crave it so bad, I may have to take a trip to Philly this weekend.

Enjoy everyone!

****I also add soft shell crab or blue crab. Cut it in half and then add it to the pot with everything else.

My family also eats hot pot, especially in the winter. My wife is from Sichuan, so we add spicy hot pot spices to the broth. There are several different packages or jars of the spice for the broth base. I'll watch out for the fish and shrimp balls this year because I know they are high in carbs (mixed with potato flour).

You can also use a flat bottomed wok on top of a electric or portable stove.

To clarify, people should have their ingredients chopped up and on plates in advance, but don't put all the food in at the same time. Put it in in smaller batches, eat them, then repeat. That way nothing gets overcooked.

For the sichuan style hot pot we use a different dipping sauce: basically extremely fine chopped garlic with a lot of sesame oil, and potentially a little salt and chinese black vinegar. The food gets most of its flavor from the cooking broth, and then the garlic just adds to the strong flavor.