Recipe for Spicy Chinese Hot Pot Broth

This Chinese soup consists of stock, spicy bean paste, ginger, garlic, chilies, and whole spices.

Ingredients

Spices

• 60 milliliters vegetable oil
• 50 grams spicy bean paste
• 15 grams ginger slices
• 4 garlic cloves
• 10 grams Sichuan peppercorns
• 20 grams dried red chilies

Soup

• 2 Liters beef stock
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 5 grams salt

Preparation

Frying

1. Heat 60 milliliters oil in a large pot and fry the ginger, garlic, and bean paste for 3 minutes
2. Add the peppercorns, dried chilies, star anise, and cinnamon and cook until aromatic
3. Be careful not to burn the chilies as they will turn bitter

Simmering

1. Pour in 2 Liters of stock and bring the mixture to a rolling boil over high heat
2. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes to allow the spices to fully infuse the liquid
3. Adjust the salt level and place the pot on a portable burner in the center of the table

Tips

• Toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan before adding them to the oil for a stronger effect
• If the broth is too spicy, skim off some of the red oil from the surface with a spoon
• Use a mix of different dried chilies to achieve a complex balance of heat and flavor