Hot Pot Party

The Thais call it suki.  Japanese call it shabu-shabu. In America, it's widely known as hot pot and in my home, the literal Lao translation is seen joom or 'dipped meat.'  Whatever you call it, it's damn good!  Basically, you have a pot of broth that's been flavored with whatever the heck you want (it's your hot pot, after all) and then uncooked meat, fish or poultry and a fresh medley of vegetables are dipped in the broth to allow them to cook. 

It's the best fix for a dinner party where all you have to do is assemble the ingredients and your guests are the ones doing all the cooking! I would just like to take a moment to thank whoever invented this dish b/c it is genius! No slaving over a hot stove for days. Just unpack, wash, chop and wha-la! Let me repeat: Genius!  

But honestly, the best part about this meal is that it really brings people together.  Your family and guests will be able to eat and play at the dinner table while engaging in jibber jabber and as each ingredient is dipped into the hot broth, the broth itself gets more flavorful.  At the end of the meal, I like to take my little bowl and ladle a heap of this umami goodness so I can sip and fully enjoy the flavors of the meal.  It truly is a snippet of my paradise at the dinner table.

So this past week, in celebration of my mom's birthday, I prepared a savory mix of all her favorites: calamari, jumbo prawns, thinly sliced beef and quail eggs with a healthy side of bok choy, napa cabbage, fresh shitake and enoki mushrooms all dipped in a tangy and slightly spicy tom yum broth infused with slices of fresh baby ginger, galanga, aromatic kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass stalks.  The result: a fragrant, steamy hot pot celebration to remember.

Hot Pot Tom Yum Broth Recipe.

Instead of 1 tbsp of tom yum paste, I usually put in at least 2 tbsp (but of course, season your broth however you wish).

The beginning of a delicious broth.  Can you see the kaffir lime leaves floating on top?

 Tip: To release the citrus fragrance of the leaves, tear each of the leaves and drop them in the pot.

{The little specks of redness are the soy bean and plant oils from the tom yum paste}

Another Tip: To add yet another layer of flavor to my broth, I tear the shitake mushrooms in half and allow its natural earthiness to perfume my pot. The result is nothing short of amazing.

When the pot begins bubbling for at least 10 minutes, it's time to dip to your heart's delight!
{Okay, now wipe that drool off your keypad}