It is not necessary to use all ingredients listed here as long as you
offer an interesting blend of meats, fish and vegetables. Other meats
and vegetables can be substituted, if desired.
Place beef, chicken and fish in freezer and chill until firm to touch
but not frozen. Slice beef and chicken in strips 1/4-inch thick and
about 2 inches long. Cut fish into 3/4-inch cubes. Shell and devein
shrimp. Chop cabbage into bite-size chunks. Clean mushrooms. If using
forest mushrooms, remove and discard stems. Slice mushrooms and
sprinkle with lemon juice. Cut off and discard root portion of enoki
mushrooms and separate clusters as much as possible. Wash, trim ends
and string pea pods. Clean green onions and cut in halves lengthwise,
including green portion. Cut into 2-inch lengths. Clean spinach and
discard thick stems. To serve, arrange beef, chicken, fish, shrimp,
cabbage, forest mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, snow peas, green onions,
spinach leaves, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots in individual rows
on large platters or serving plates. Bring broth to boil. Place
heating unit under Chinese hot pot and pour boiling broth into
hot-pot bowl. Using Chinese wire ladle and chopsticks or fondue
forks, each person places whatever ingredients are desired into hot
broth to poach. When cooked (this will take only a few moments),
ingredients are then dipped into sweet-and-sour sauce, soy sauce or
hot mustard as desired, and eaten with noodles, adding cilantro, if
desired.
Note: The special pot needed can be purchased at Chinese shops.
(C) 1992 The Los Angeles Times
