Dragon hot pot, as served in Melbourne’s Chinese restaurants, is a theatrical, spicy-sweet broth loaded with aromatics, dried chilies, and a rich, slow-simmered depth. This DIY version brings that same fiery, numbing, and deeply savory experience to your home table, using a store-bought Sichuan hot pot base boosted with fresh ginger, garlic, and a secret touch of tomato for brightness. It works because it builds layers of flavor—heat from chilies, fragrance from star anise and cinnamon, and umami from fermented bean paste—all in one pot that you can customize with your favorite meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Sichuan doubanjiang (fermented broad bean paste)
- 1 tbsp (15 g) fermented black beans (douchi), rinsed and roughly chopped
- 8-10 dried red chilies (like Tianjin or arbol), stems removed, soaked in hot water for 10 min
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Sichuan peppercorns, plus more for serving
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 inches (5 cm) fresh ginger, sliced into coins
- 1 large tomato, cut into wedges
- 2 tbsp (30 g) rock sugar or brown sugar
- 2 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick (2 inches / 5 cm)
- 2 bay leaves
- 8 cups (2 L) chicken or vegetable stock (low-sodium)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
- 1 tsp (5 g) salt, or to taste
- For the hot pot table: thinly sliced beef (like ribeye or sirloin), lamb, chicken breast, fish fillets (like tilapia or cod), shrimp, tofu, mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, oyster), napa cabbage, baby bok choy, spinach, glass noodles, and cooked rice or noodles for serving
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the doubanjiang and fermented black beans. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the oil turns red and the paste is fragrant. Be careful not to burn it.
- Add the soaked chilies (drained) and Sichuan peppercorns. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the chilies soften and the peppercorns release their aroma.
- Add the smashed garlic, ginger slices, tomato wedges, rock sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes, allowing the tomato to break down slightly.
- Pour in the chicken stock. Add the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce. Bring the broth to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for at least 1 hour. The longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor. If you have time, simmer for 2 hours.
- After simmering, taste the broth and adjust seasoning with salt. If you want more heat, add extra chili flakes or a few fresh bird’s eye chilies. If it’s too spicy, add a little more stock or a splash of coconut milk to mellow it.
- To serve, strain the broth into a clean pot or leave the aromatics in for a rustic look (remove the star anise and cinnamon stick if you prefer). Keep the broth at a rolling simmer on a portable burner in the center of the table.
- Arrange all the raw ingredients (meat, seafood, vegetables, noodles) on platters around the pot. Each person cooks their own items in the simmering broth using chopsticks or a small strainer. Cook meat and seafood thoroughly—thin slices take 30-60 seconds, shrimp 2-3 minutes, fish fillets 2-3 minutes. Ensure chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) and ground meats 160°F (71°C) as per USDA FSIS safe minimum internal temperatures. Check with a food thermometer if cooking larger pieces.
- Serve with dipping sauces like sesame oil with garlic, or a simple mix of soy sauce, vinegar, and chili crisp. Once most ingredients are eaten, you can add cooked rice or noodles to the remaining broth to make a final soup.
Tips
- Substitutions: No doubanjiang? Use 1 tbsp miso paste plus 1 tsp chili paste. No Shaoxing wine? Dry sherry or mirin works. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock and omit the fermented black beans (they add umami but are not strictly necessary).
- Spice control: The heat level is adjustable. Remove the seeds from the dried chilies before soaking for a milder broth, or add more peppercorns for extra numbing (má) sensation. Always taste before serving and adjust.
- Common mistake: Don’t skip the simmering step. The broth needs at least an hour to meld the flavors; a quick 15-minute simmer will result in a thin, flat-tasting soup. Also, don’t overcrowd the pot—cook in small batches to keep the broth at a steady simmer.
- Make ahead: The broth can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. The flavor actually improves overnight. Reheat gently before serving.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the hot pot with an array of dipping sauces: a classic sesame sauce (tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, and a pinch of sugar), a garlic-chili oil, and a simple ponzu-style mix of soy, rice vinegar, and citrus. Offer steamed rice or fresh noodles on the side. For a complete meal, include a plate of raw vegetables like cucumber slices or cherry tomatoes to refresh the palate between spicy bites.
Variations
- Mild (Yin) Broth: For a non-spicy version, replace the chilies and doubanjiang with 2 tbsp of white miso and add 4 cups of sliced mushrooms (shiitake, oyster) to the stock. Omit the Sichuan peppercorns.
- Seafood Hot Pot: Use fish stock instead of chicken and add a sheet of kombu (kelp) while simmering. Serve with extra shrimp, scallops, and fish balls.
- Tomato-based Hot Pot: Increase the tomato to 3 large tomatoes, and add 2 tbsp of ketchup for a sweeter, tangier broth that’s popular in some regions. Reduce the chilies to 4-5.
- Mushroom Lover’s: Add 1 oz (30 g) dried porcini mushrooms to the simmering broth for an intense earthy flavor.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The broth will solidify slightly due to the fat; that’s normal. Reheat in a pot over medium heat until bubbling. If you have leftover cooked meat or vegetables, store them separately and reheat in the broth just until hot. Do not refreeze the broth after it has been used for cooking raw ingredients—discard any broth that has had raw meat or seafood cooked in it if you plan to store it; it’s safer to make a fresh batch. For best quality, consume within 2 days if you’ve cooked meat in the broth.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a store-bought hot pot base instead of making my own? Yes, absolutely. Use 4-5 oz (120-150 g) of a good quality Sichuan hot pot base (like Haidilao or Little Sheep) and skip steps 1-3. Just add the base to 8 cups of stock, add the tomato, garlic, ginger, and simmer for 30 minutes. The flavor will be close, but slightly less complex than from-scratch.
What is the best cut of beef for hot pot? Look for thinly sliced ribeye, sirloin, or brisket. You can ask your butcher to slice it paper-thin on a meat slicer, or partially freeze the beef at home for 1 hour and slice it thinly with a sharp knife. The fat marbling is key for flavor and tenderness.
How do I make the broth less oily? After simmering, let the broth cool slightly and skim off the excess oil with a ladle or use a fat separator. You can also refrigerate the broth overnight and lift off the solidified fat layer. This will reduce the oiliness without sacrificing flavor.
Can I make this in a slow cooker? Yes, for the broth only. After sautéing the aromatics in a pan, transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Then transfer to a hot pot burner for serving. The slow cooker won’t get hot enough for cooking raw ingredients at the table, so use it for making the broth in advance.
What if I don’t have a portable burner? You can still enjoy hot pot at home. Cook the ingredients in batches on the stove in the simmering broth, then serve each person a bowl of broth with their cooked items. It’s less interactive but just as delicious.
Is it safe to cook raw chicken in the hot pot broth? Yes, as long as you bring the broth to a full rolling boil before adding chicken, and then cook the chicken until it reaches 165°F (74°C) as measured with a food thermometer. Thin slices cook in about 1 minute. Always use separate chopsticks for raw and cooked food to avoid cross-contamination.
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Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
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