Hot Pot Sate Broth

We had some guests two (2) weeks ago, my Ninang (godmother) and cousin Ineng.   Since my mom has left-over frozen gyozas (Japanese dumplings), I decided to make a Hot Pot Sate Broth.   This is a shabu-shabu dish wherein you prepare the broth, set it in a really warm pot (much better if you have a camping burner so it’ll simmer continuously) and the guests will add the uncooked ingredients.

For the broth, you will need:

• 2 liters water
• 4 beef bouillon cubes
• 4 tablespoons XO sauce (you can substitute this with BBQ sauce but XO sauce is still the best)

• 1 pack fish balls (about 15 pieces), lobster balls or prawn balls
• 1 pack (about 12 pieces) dumplings
• 1/4 kilo shiitake mushrooms (unfortunately, we weren’t able to find any in the supermarket so we settled for champignons)
• 1/4 to 1/2 kilo sukiyaki-cut beef
• 1 bunch of kinchay, kangkong or Taiwan pechay
• 1 pack firm tofu (for shabu-shabu)
• 1 pack vermicelli noodles (5 to 10 grams)
• 250g prawns, peeled and deveined (optional)

1.  Make the broth by bringing water to a boil in a large saucepot (we used our Saladmaster saucepan for this).  Add bouillon cubes.  When cubes are dissolved, add the XO sauce.  Stir to dissolve.

2.  When the broth is rapidly boiling, dunk seafood balls, dumplings, mushrooms and beef.  Cook for 10-15 minutes.  (Side story: we made a big, big mistake in placing half-frozen dumplings into the broth.  The result?  The dumpling wraps did not hold, separating the meat inside from the dumpling wrappers.  Lesson learned:  place the dumplings last and take them off as soon as they are cooked.)

3.  Add the vegetables, cook for 3-5 minutes.  Add the tofu (carefully because it breaks easily in the broth).  Add the vermicelli noodles last because this will absorb most of the soup the longer it is immersed in the broth; cook for 5-10 minutes.  Transfer to a serving bowl.

For a complete shabu-shabu experience, you can take out all the seefood and meat ingredients from the broth and arrange them in platter, like what I did (sorry for the bad lighting).

I did not take off the broth from the saucepan so they will remain warm.  I wish we did have a camping burner but the Saladmaster saucepan did a good job at keeping the broth warm too!

It was a wonderful meal!  Even though the dumplings didn’t make it to the final serving, its meat fillings blended well into the broth, giving it a more flavorful taste.

Try this dish – it’s very simple to do and allows for a more interactive meal with your guests  =)

(This recipe is from Yummy Books: Asian at Home – a compilation of recipes from around the Asian Region.  It’s available at all National Bookstore outlets for only P125.00)