Southern Hot Pot

Platters filled with fresh raw vegetables and meats, sliced paper thin, were carefully arranged fondue style around the large pot of boiling stock located on the burner in the center of the table. Fascinated, I watched as my Chinese host instructed me in the ways of eating hot pot. This was definitely a fun experience that I wanted to bring home. I was excited to share the idea with my friends and family, but, of course, I had to put my Southern spin on it, including vegetables such as fresh turnip green leaves, halved Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato slices, and adding venison to the meat selection.

Homemade Chicken Stock

8 pounds bone-in dark meat chicken pieces

4 small yellow onions, peeled and quartered

8 celery ribs, cut crosswise into quarter

8 small carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into quarters

4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

16 sprigs fresh thyme

16 bay leaves

Fine sea salt, to taste

1 teaspoon grated ginger, optional

Southern Soy Sauce

½ cup Worcestershire sauce

6 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

¾ cup water

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated ginger

Horseradish Cream Sauce

1 ½ cups sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Hot Pot

1 (½-pound) pork tenderloin

1 (½-pound) bottom round beef

1 (½-pound) venison filet

1 (6-ounce) andouille sausage or spicy sausage link, cut diagonally into ½-inch slices

2 medium sweet potatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

2 cups small Brussels sprouts, cut into halves

1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick

2 packages enoki mushrooms, trimmed and pulled apart

1 (8-ounce) container baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and cut into quarters

1 pound baby bok choy

1 bunch turnip green leaves, stems removed

8 ounces vermicelli rice noodles Sweet chili sauce

To make the chicken stock, divide the chicken, vegetables, and herbs between 2 large pots. Add enough cold water to barely cover the ingredients. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 4 hours. Season with salt to taste. During the cooking, skim off any scum or fat that rises to the surface. Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer into a large container.

To make the soy sauce, in a small bowl mix together the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, water, lemon juice, garlic, and ginger. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. The sauce will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 week.

To make the horseradish sauce, in a small bowl mix the sour cream with horseradish to desired taste and pungency. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To make the hot pot, cut the pork, beef, and venison into paper-thin slices. To make slicing easier, freeze the meats for 1 to 2 hours before slicing or have your butcher slice the meats for you. Arrange the pork, beef, venison, and sausage slices on large plates. On one or more plates, arrange the vegetables and noodles.

Place an electric fondue pot, skillet, or wok in the center of a table. I recommend 1 pot per 3 to 4 people. Pour the Homemade Chicken Stock into the pot(s) and bring to a low boil on a medium to medium-high setting.

Have guests use chopsticks or small tongs to cook their meats and vegetables in the stock. The pork, beef, and venison slices will take 2 to 3 minutes to cook. The sausage will take 4 to 5 minutes. The sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts will take 5 to 6 minutes. The eggplant, mushrooms, bok choy, and turnip greens will take 3 to 4 minutes to cook. Add the noodles last and cook until soft. A small strainer with a bamboo handle (known as a “spider”) is ideal for retrieving any stray meats, vegetables, and noodles from the stock. Any additional stock in the pot can be ladled into guests’ bowls along with the noodles to enjoy as a soup. Serve with sweet chili sauce, Southern Soy Sauce, and Horseradish Cream Sauce for dipping.

Makes 5 to 6 servings of Hot Pot, 10 cups of Homemade Chicken Stock, 1 ½ cups of Southern Soy Sauce, and 1 cup of Horseradish Cream Sauce.

Notes: You can find enoki mushrooms at your local Asian grocery store. For the chili sauce, I like to use Mae Ploy’s Sweet Chili Sauce. If you don’t want to make the Homemade Chicken Stock, use a good-quality packaged broth instead.