Valentine’s Steamboat

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We finally had our belated Valentine’s meal tonight, and for the special occasion, I decided to do a steamboat. Also known as a hot pot, a steamboat consists of a simmering pot of broth placed right at the dining table, to which raw ingredients are continuously added to the broth and cooked on the spot. Now, if you are an OCD like me and would prefer not to have raw meat and fish placed directly on your dining table, feel free to cook them in advance and then just reheat them in the pot…that’s the beauty of doing it yourself…you CAN do whatever you want. :D

As for the ingredients, you can use as little as five or as many as twenty. It’s totally up to you and you can pick whatever ingredient your heart desires (as long as you like it, of course). Typically, ingredients in a steamboat include a variety of meat, seafood, veggies, mushrooms, dumplings, and so on. And generally, ingredients are prepped into bite-size pieces and arranged neatly on a plate. If you are going to cook certain raw ingredients in advance, just bring a pot of water to a boil and simmer the ingredients until they are just cooked (try to avoid mixing different food items together since they would probably cook at a different rate). Then, remove, let cool and plate. Now, after you’re done, do not throw the cooking liquid away. This will be the base for your broth. Add your seasoning (if you are using any) and finally right before eating, transfer your broth to your steamboat appliance, and enjoy the food and experience!

Since our steamboat pot has two separate compartments, we have the option of using two different kinds of broth
Since our steamboat pot has two separate compartments, we have the option of using two different kinds of broth
One is tom yum (our favorite tom yum paste brand is Maesri but since it was unavailable, we decided to try a new brand) and the other is a wonton base broth (essentially a chicken broth)
One is tom yum (our favorite tom yum paste brand is Maesri but since it was unavailable, we decided to try a new brand) and the other is a wonton base broth (essentially a chicken broth)
Tilapia
Tilapia
Shrimp
Shrimp
Fish balls
Fish balls
Fried tofu
Fried tofu
Quail eggs
Quail eggs
Baby bok choy
Baby bok choy
Ready to feast :D
Ready to feast :D
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2 Replies to “Valentine’s Steamboat”

  1. My steamboat does not have a divider, so I ended up making a non-spicy soup base. I made the chilli sauce separately. Love your baby bok choy.

    1. When I bought my steamboat years ago, I didn’t even think of the fact that it has a divider…but now, I’m kind of glad that it does. :D Chinese greens are pretty easy to get here…thank goodness!

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