imperial fondue
shabu-shabu / "steamboat"

This recipe is known -- with a few subtle variations -- by a variety of names, including Steamboat (Singapore) and Shabu-Shabu (Japan). It all depends upon the country you're in when you order it. The one thing they all have in common is the use of a seasoned broth as the cooking 'vehicle' and any of a number of different fresh ingredients that are then cooked in the broth at tableside. This is communal dining at its finest! (Etiquette dictates the use of two different sets of chopsticks per guest-- one pair for dipping the ingredients into the broth [or you can use a wire-mesh scoop]; the other pair is used for dipping the cooked items into the sauces and for eating.)

Makes 4 servings

6+ Cups Chicken broth
1+ Tbs Ginger root, grated
1 lb Shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1 lb Chicken, boned and thinly sliced
1/2 lb Beef round steak, sliced very thin
1/2 head Bok choy, coarsely cubed
1 5-oz can Water chestnuts
1-1/2 Cups Fresh mushrooms (Shiitake, button, straw)
4 Cups Fresh spinach leaves w/ stems removed
 
SAUCES
Chinese Mustard
Ginger Soy
Chili Peanut
Sweet & Sour
Hot Soy Vinegar
 
OTHER SUGGESTED INGREDIENTS
Sea Cucumber
Squid
Liver
Fish balls
Cellophane Noodles
Meat balls
Broccoli
Carrots

First, you will need to use some form of communal cookware that can be placed tableside-- an electric skillet, a chafing dish, an electric wok, or an honest-to-goodness Mongolian cooker with a charcoal chimney in the center (or the kind that uses sterno as fuel).

The idea is to use the cookware as a giant soup tureen in which the broth and grated ginger are brought to a boil. The broth should then be kept at a hard simmer whle your guests dip the meats, seafood and vegetables into the hot broth to cook. Broth will need to be added throughout the meal to replenish the evaporating 'fondue'.

Once the ingredients are cooked, each guest then dips their portions into individual servings of sauces.

Traditionalists will poach eggs in the broth after all the other ingredients are eaten, placing the cooked eggs atop the final bowl of rice. For the finale, the broth is then ladled out and served as soup.

Accompany this meal with lots of steamed white rice.

The raw ingredients will need to be prepared ahead of time, then refrigerated until needed. Arrange the ingredients attractively on a large plate. Each guest can then pick 'n choose from among the offerings.