Here's How You Can Make Delicious Shabu-Shabu At Home

Did you know that you can easily recreate a shabu-shabu experience at home? 

Shabu-shabu is a popular Japanese eating concept where diners are seated at tables where a simmering pot of broth is at its center, usually accessible to all seated. Diners are encouraged to choose uncooked ingredients to dunk into the simmering broth to cook. Also known as a hotpot, these establishments are popular for those who like to cook their own food or who enjoy having freshly cooked food they can immediately enjoy.  

What's great about this hotpot concept is that it's doable to recreate at home. All you need are a few specialized equipment and ingredients to make your dining experience just as delicious at home as it is at a restaurant.

Here's what you will need to make your shabu-shabu party a delicious success: 

This gas burner is portable and easy to use anywhere.

Photo by Lazada

1 Portable Burner 

What's so unique about the shabu-shabu experience is that tabletop stove. So you'll need one to place on top of your table. A great option to make this happen at home is a portable butane stove like this one from Lazada or a one-burner stove that you can transfer from the kitchen to the table. If desired, provide two stoves so you can simmer more than one type of soup for your diners. If you have it, a fondue pot is a great pot to use for a shabu-shabu. 

2 A Soup Pot 

While any pot can work, the best type of pot to use for a hotpot party is a pot with a wide rim. A wide rim will allow everyone to be able to dip their food in without bumping into each other. The wider the rim, the better.  

3 Tongs and Ladles 

For the convenience of your shabu-shabu diners at home, provide at least two tongs and a ladle per simmering hotpot you will set up. The tongs will help the diners add ingredients to the simmering broth while the ladle will ensure that anyone who wants some soup can scoop some into their bowls and fish out any ingredients floating in the broth. 

A broth should always be flavorful so you can always create the best tasting dishes.

Photo by Patrick Martires

4 The Broth 

The best hotpot places usually have a delicious broth in which to dip and cook ingredients into. It can't be a bland soup so make a delicious broth that will serve as the main flavoring. Any one of these clear soup recipes can serve as your next shabu-shabu or hotpot broth: 

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Thinly-sliced meats cook faster.

Photo by Pixabay

5 The Ingredients for Dipping

The other aspect of the best shabu-shabu places are the ingredients itself. These can range from thinly-sliced meats and baby corn which easily cook in the simmering broth and sauces to add more flavor to the broth. The most basic ingredients you can add to your buffet are: 

1. 1 thinly-sliced meat (beef and/or pork) 
2. 2 seafood (fish fillets, shrimps, crab legs, etc)
3. 3 meatballs (squid balls, fish balls, crab balls, beef balls, etc.) 
4. 4 hearty greens (bokchoy, napa cabbage, etc)  
5. 5 fresh mushrooms (shiitake, enoki, button, etc.) 
6. 6 tofu
7. 7 carrots, camote, and other root crops
8. 8 noodles (sotanghon, vermicilli, etc) and steamed rice 

Once you have all of these equipment and ingredients, provide plates and utensils for each diner to begin the feast and have a great shabu-shabu experience in the comfort of your home. 

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