Spicy Hotpot

Ingredients

• 250g/9oz fish balls (msg free), if you are unable to get hold of these, leave them out or substitute with vegetables instead
• 1 small handful of chinese cabbage/leaf, sliced 2.5cm/1 inch thick
• 1 small handful of deep-fried tofu, if you are unable to get hold of this, leave it out or substitute with vegetables instead
• 1 small handful of fresh tofu, cut into 2.5cm/1 inch chunks
• 1 large spring onion, roughly chopped

For the spicy soup stock base

• 2 tablespoons groundnut oil
• 3–4 long dried sichuan chillies or long dried chillies
• 50g/2oz whole sichuan pepper corns
• 1 tablespoon chilli bean sauce
• 1 tablespoon chilli sauce
• 1.7 litres/3 pints hot vegetable stock
• 2 star anise
• 6 dried chinese mushrooms, whole or dried shitake or dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 small handful of dried tangerine peel or zest of 1 orange
• 250ml/9fl oz chilli oil
• 2.5cm/1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, peeled
• 2 medium red chilli, deseeded and sliced

For the pot (1 plate each of):

• Thin slices of lamb
• Raw prawns, shelled and de-veined
• Firm tofu, cut into chunks
• Enoki mushrooms and baby corn
• 250g/9oz fish cake (msg free), sliced, if you are unable to get hold of this, leave it out or substitute with vegetables instead

Vinegar, chilli and soy dipping sauce

• 3 tablespoons chinkiang black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

Special Taiwanese dipping sauce (serve 1):

• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon oriental satay/barbeque sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander
• 1 tablespoon finely sliced spring onion