Fragrant Lemongrass and Seafood Hot Pot (Lau)
A bubbling pot of aromatic lemongrass and tomato broth sits at the center of the table while everyone gathers around to cook their own shrimp, fish, thinly sliced beef, and fresh vegetables right at the table. The broth deepens with flavor as each ingredient is swished through it. This communal feast is Vietnamese dining at its most joyful and interactive.
Ingredients
- 8 cups chicken or pork bone broth
- 3 stalks lemongrass, bruised and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 3 large tomatoes, quartered
- 1 small pineapple, cut into chunks
+ 13 more ingredients
Instructions
Prepare all the raw ingredients and arrange them on platters around the table. Slice the beef as thin as possible for quick cooking. Soak the rice vermicelli in warm water for 10 minutes, then drain.
In a hot pot, large stockpot, or fondue pot, bring the broth to a boil. Add the lemongrass, tomatoes, pineapple chunks, tamarind paste, fish sauce, and sugar. Simmer for 15 minutes to build the base flavor.
Prepare the dipping sauce by combining 3 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons lime juice, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 sliced chili, and 1 teaspoon sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Divide among individual dipping bowls.
Transfer the hot pot to a portable burner at the center of the table. Keep the broth at a gentle, rolling simmer.
Each diner uses chopsticks or a small strainer to cook ingredients directly in the broth. Beef slices take 10 to 15 seconds. Shrimp takes 2 to 3 minutes. Fish takes 1 to 2 minutes. Vegetables and tofu take 1 to 2 minutes.
Add the rice vermicelli to individual bowls. Ladle the enriched broth over the noodles as a soup course toward the end of the meal.
Replenish the broth with additional stock or hot water as the level drops during cooking.
Nutrition Estimate
Per serving • Estimated by Blinner AI