GTS Episode 04: Hot Pot Fondue

A dinner favorite of mine and my wife. We make a Chinese Szechuan style hot pot and then turn it into a cheese sauce, because why not? As always, feel free to comment with some mashups you would like to see in the future. Recipes: Vegetable Stock: 1 large white onion 1 stalk of celery 3 large or 6 small carrots 1 package of portobello mushrooms 1 head of fennel 1 bunch rosemary 1 bunch thyme 1 whole head garlic 4 bay leaves Salt and Pepper 1) Roughly chop onion, celery, mushrooms and fennel. Peel and chop the carrots. Slice the whole head of garlic in half width wise. 2) In a large stock pot over medium heat, cook the onion, celery and carrots until slightly tender. Add the garlic, mushrooms and fennel, in that order, cooking each for about 5-6 minutes before adding the next. 3)Add the rosemary, thyme and bay leaves, stir a few times and then fill the pot with water until all the vegetables are covered. 4) Bring the water to a boil, then turn the burner to low, and simmer covered for 45 minutes- 2 hours. The longer it goes, the more flavor it will build up. 5) After finished simmering, strain out the vegetables and season the stock to taste with salt and pepper. Hot pot soup: Vegetable Stock 2 cloves garlic 1 cluster of fresh ginger 2 star anise 4 cardamom pods 2 tbs spicy fermented bean paste dried thai or szechuan chilis 1) Soak the dried chilis in warm water until re-hydrated. 2) Slice garlic, slice 4-5 side slices of ginger off of the cluster, about 1mm thick. After re-hydrated, finely chop the chilis until they are like a paste. 3) Place a soup pot over medium heat with a tiny amount of cooking oil. Sauté the garlic, ginger, anise and cardamom until fragrant. Add the spicy bean paste and continue to stir. Add in the chilis to the desired spice level and stir for 2 minutes. 4) Add 2 liters of vegetable stock and allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Adjust to taste with salt, pepper, and additional chilis. 5) Once boiling, cook desired vegetables, seafood or sliced meats in the soup and enjoy with rice and a dipping sauce of your choice. Hot Pot Fondue: Hot Pot Soup 1 lb sharp cheddar 1 lb Gruyere corn starch 1)Grate all of the cheese and toss together with a small amount of corn starch, just enough to coat the cheese. 2)Bring hot pot soup to a boil and strain out the chilis and spices that float to the top. (Make sure to use hot pot soup that has not had things cooking in it) 3) Slowly add cheese, constantly whisking until the desired consitency is achieved. If needed, you can add cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) to thicken the cheese sauce. Music provided by Hooksounds.com (lyrics and vocals by me) Animations made with Viddyoze.com