SINGAPORE STEAMBOAT

Steamboat also known as hotpots are great for informal entertaining. Thinly sliced meat and other ingredients all attractively arranged on a platter is actually cooked at the table in a traditional Asian hotpot filled with chicken stock. Some may substitute an electric skillet or even an electric wok, fondue pot, or any flameproof casserole placed over a portable tabletop burner.

The broth should be kept at a hard simmer while your guests dip the meats, seafood and vegetables into the hot broth to cook. Once the ingredients are cooked, each guest dips their portions into individual servings of sauces. Etiquette dictates the use of two different sets of chopsticks per guest – one pair for dipping the ingredients into the broth and the other pair is used for dipping the cooked items into the sauces and for eating. To make it less cumbersome, a wire-mesh scoop is provided so guests can put their selected choice into the scoop and cook it in the broth.

Traditionalists will poach eggs in the broth after all the ingredients are eaten, placing the cooked eggs atop the final bowl of rice. For the finale, the broth is then ladled out and served as soup.

Ingredients (for 6 – 8 people)

8+ cups of chicken broth

prawns, raw, peeled and deveined

chicken, boned and thinly sliced (use bones for making stock)

beef round steak, thinly sliced

thinly sliced red snapper fillet

fish balls

pork or beef balls

fresh mushrooms or shitake mushrooms

bok choy

fresh spinach leaves

fresh corn on the cob (cut into 3 rolls)

carrots

white turnip

rice vermicelli or egg noodles

(the above ingredients can be varied according to taste)


Dipping Sauces

Thinly sliced red chillies with soya sauce

Sesame paste with drop of chilli oil

Fresh red chilli grind with garlic and ginger