BASE FOR HOT POT SOUP
As these prepackaged hot pot soup bases become more widely available, they are becoming increasingly popular. This article will discuss this chemical and its application in greater detail.
A HOT POT SOUP BASE IS WHAT?
Hugu, a Chinese cooking method and kind of dinner, involves a simmering pot of soup with various raw components (meat, fish, mushrooms, veggies, tofu, noodles/starch, etc.) placed in the middle of a dining table and served with a range of sauces and condiments.
Individuals at the table dip and cook their raw components in the simmering broth, which is kept at a constant temperature (almost like a Chinese fondue, sans cheese).
Hot pot soup bases (hugu d liào, ) are readily available in prepackaged form, making it considerably more straightforward to prepare a home-cooked dinner with a hot pot. Soup bases for Mongolian Hot Pot, Seafood Hot Pot, and Spicy Sichuan Hot Pot are all available in tiny packets. You’ll find a wide variety of products in a well-stocked Chinese market!
Chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, fermented bean paste, honey, and other spices can all be used to prepare this dish.
What is its purpose?
To produce the hot pot broth, just dissolve the contents of the packet in water and use the hot pot soup bases.
A hot pot soup base is sometimes used as the foundation for a sauce or seasoning for stir-fries. Various aromatics and pastes/sauces are then added. Our Spicy Numbing Stir-Fry Dry Pot is an example of this (Ma La Xiang Guo).
Purchasing and Keeping
Chinese grocers carry the soup bases for hot pots. The hot Sichuan flavor is the one we use most frequently.
They are packaged in single-serving plastic packets and are intended to produce a large pot of broth.
You only need a few teaspoons when making a stir-fry using the soup foundation. Any leftovers should be refrigerated in an airtight container to preserve freshness. It can be used up to one week after preparation as long as no raw meat or unclean utensils have been used.
You may also store the soup base in an airtight container or smaller portioned containers and freeze it for later use. Use as usual after defrosting in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tbsp. of vegetable oil
- 6 slices of ginger
- 3-5 pcs. of bay leaves
- 10 cloves of garlic (peeled)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 star anise
- 10 cloves (smashed)
- 1 tbsp. of Sichuan peppercorns
- 12 whole dried red chilies
- 2 1/2 tbsp. of spicy bean paste (la doubanjiang)
- 12-15 cups of chicken stock
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Add the oil and ginger to a wok set over medium heat. Take care not to burn the ginger when cooking for approximately a minute to caramelize it.
- Garlic, bay leaves, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves can all be added at this point. A few more minutes of cooking are required to achieve the desired flavor level.
- The dish is complete with chili powder, whole Sichuan peppercorns, and spicy bean paste.
- Add the stock after another 2 minutes of cooking. Bring to a boil, then transfer to the pot in which you’ll be cooking your hot pot meal (it should be broad and shallow).