Hotpot Dipping Ingredients (Sichuan)

Gandalf The White's Note:

Bascially, use your imagination ... almost any vegetable, meat or even seafood, can be used as a dipping ingredient. The key strategy is that each piece should essentially be bite-sized and will cook in a matter of 1-2 minutes at most. Some ingredients (e.g., mushrooms) can be used whole, while others (e.g., chicken breast, pieces of beef) should be sliced paper thin. This list is only a small set of suggestions. The number of servings is clearly unlimited, but I had to fill in a number ...

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 0 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
• chicken breast, cut into paper thin slices
• pork tenderloin, cut into paper thin slices
• beef, cut into paper thin slices
• lamb, cut into paper thin slices
• already cooked meat, cut into paper thin slices (e.g., you may have cooked beef to make the beef broth ...)
• smoked bacon, cut into thick slices
• duck, cut into paper thin slices
• tofu, cut into thick slices
• mushroom (all kinds)
• turnip, including daikon
• potato, peeled, thckly sliced, and soaked in lightly salted water
• lotus root scraped clean, thckly sliced, and soaked in lightly salt water
• cauliflower, cut into florets
• broccoli, cut into florets
• spinach, cut into lengths
• mixed sprouts, whole (any kind)
• scallion, cut into sections
• sweet pepper, cut into sections
• onion, sliced
• shrimp, shelled
• scallops
• squid, cut into bite sized pieces

Directions:

1. Lay out on trays or plates, either communally or for each individual diner.
2. Each diner selects what they want, place them in the hotpot, then remove when cooked to their preference.
3. Dipping sauces (separate recipe) are used to provide additional flavor.
4. Enjoy!