Seafood Hot Pot

Invite family and friends over for a night of comforting food and communal cooking.

Serves 4 to 6

For the soup stock
16 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock, plus extra for refilling
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, sliced thinly
2 stalks leeks, sliced diagonally into 1-inch pieces
1 medium carrot, sliced into thin rounds
salt and pepper, to taste

For the soup components
500 grams white fish fillet (cream dory or lapu-lapu),
        sliced  into 2-inch strips
12 pieces medium squid, cleaned and sliced into rounds
        Click to see How to Clean Squid
12 to 18 pieces mushroom, squid, or fish balls
1 medium firm tofu (about 400 grams), sliced into rectangles
12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced in half
1 cup enoki mushrooms
2 bunches baby bok choy leaves
1 small napa cabbage (Baguio pechay), cut into 2-inch pieces

For the dipping condiments
soy sauce, XO sauce, Chinese barbecue sauce
sesame oil
1/3 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped green onions
8 pieces bird’s eye chili, sliced into rounds

1  Set up the induction cooktop at the center of the dining table. Arrange a soup bowl, two sets of chopsticks (one for cooking and the other for eating), soup strainers, and condiment bowls for each diner.

2  Make the soup stock: Combine all the soup stock ingredients in a large induction pot. Set over the induction cooktop and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes and season lightly with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3  Prepare the soup components and condiments: Place the components in serving dishes and arrange on the table. Invite diners to mix their own dipping sauce.

4  To start cooking, place ingredients in the pot. Once cooked (it takes only a few minutes), transfer to serving bowls. As the soup stock is depleted, add extra stock or water. Bring to a boil before adding more ingredients to cook.

Shopping tip:  Look for XO sauce and Chinese barbecue sauce  in Chinese specialty stores like Little Store on the Hill on J. Abad Santos Street in San Juan.

Photography by Patrick Martires | Styling by Rachelle Santos | Electrolux Portable Induction Cooktop (Model number: ETD28K)