Hu Shu Premium Hot Pot
Legend has it that the title “First Class” was bestowed by Emperor Qianlong himself. It is said that during one of his incognito tours through southern China, the emperor traveled lightly from Jiuhua Mountain to Shangzhuang in Jixi County. As they reached a mountain hollow north of Jixi County, dusk began to fall and hunger pangs set in. Seeking shelter and sustenance, they spotted a farmhouse and knocked without hesitation. To prepare a meal quickly for her guests, the farmer's wife layered vegetables like radishes, dried beans, fried tofu pockets, and braised pork in her iron pot—first vegetables, then meats—heated it thoroughly, and served it. The emperor and his entourage savored the piping hot, rustic stew with relish, praising it effusively.
After the meal, the emperor inquired, “What is this dish called?” The woman replied, “This big pot dish has no name—it's simply ‘One-Pot Stew’.” The emperor declared, “One-Pot Stew sounds too plain. Let it be known as Huizhou's premier dish: First-Class Pot.” With the emperor's bestowed name, the dish gained widespread fame. First-Class Pot became a cherished dish for welcoming guests in Jixi's folk tradition.
Hu Shih, a native of Shangzhuang in Jixi, Anhui, frequently served Shangzhuang's First-Class Pot as a staple dish when entertaining guests, including foreign visitors. After tasting it, guests would praise it highly and often inquire about its name. Hu Shih would reply, “First-Class Pot.” Since this dish was only available at Hu Shih's home, people began calling it Hu Shih's First-Class Pot, and the name gradually spread.
Liang Shiqiu, a son-in-law of Jixi, described the dish as follows: “A large iron pot, nearly two feet in diameter, layered with chicken, duck, pork, fried tofu, and garnished with egg rolls, resting atop radish and greens—absolutely delicious.”
Hu Shih's First-Class Pot Recipe
【Ingredients】 500g pork belly 500g pork shoulder 300g free-range chicken 150g beef shank 250g tofu 200g rehydrated dried broad beans 100g rehydrated dried bamboo shoots 14 pieces tofu puffs 150g ham bone 150g eggs 30g rehydrated shiitake mushrooms 100g water chestnuts 100g Chinese broccoli 50g cilantro water chestnuts 100g, bok choy hearts 100g, cilantro 50g
【Seasonings】Salt 5g, soy sauce 30g, sugar 50g, cooking wine 50g, ginger 100g, star anise 5g, dried chili peppers 5g, rapeseed oil 100g
【Cooking Steps】
1. Cut pork belly into 7cm long, 5cm wide, 1cm thick pieces. Chop free-range chicken into 3cm cubes. Mince pork shoulder and beef shank. Finely chop cilantro. Dice water chestnuts. Slice ginger.
2. Season minced pork shoulder with crumbled tofu. Mix vigorously until sticky, form into balls, and deep-fry in medium-hot oil until golden.
3. Season the minced beef with chopped cilantro to make a filling, stuffing it into the tofu puffs.
4. Beat eggs into a batter and fry in a flat pan to make egg wrappers. Season the minced pork shoulder with water chestnut pieces to make a filling, wrapping it in the egg wrappers to form egg dumplings. Blanch the Chinese cabbage hearts, then rinse under cold water and set aside.
5. Caramelize sugar to make a caramel sauce and set aside.
6. Heat wok over high heat with 50g vegetable oil until 150°C. Add pork belly to render fat, then stir-fry ginger slices and star anise until fragrant. Add soy sauce, caramelized sugar, cooking wine, and 500g water. Cover, bring to a boil over medium heat, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Add salt and rehydrated dried broad beans. Remove from heat when meat is tender and falling apart;
7. Heat 50g vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until 150°C. Add chicken chunks and stir-fry until rendered. Add ginger slices, dried chili peppers, and star anise, stir-frying until fragrant. Add soy sauce, cooking wine, salt, and 250g water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 60 minutes. Remove from heat (reserve cooking liquid).
8. In a separate wok, add water, ham bones, rehydrated bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, and salt. Simmer for 30 minutes before removing from heat. 9. Steam the egg dumplings until cooked through, then remove and serve.