Sichuan spicy hot pot (Huoguo)

1. Put the beef sirloin in the freezer for 30 minutes, then cut it into paper-thin slices with a sharp knife; cube the tofu, cut the Chinese cabbage into large pieces, trim the base of the enoki and soak the glass noodles in lukewarm water for 10 minutes.

2. For the broth, slice the ginger and peel the garlic; heat the oil in a wide pot and fry the doubanjiang over low heat for 2 minutes until the oil turns red.

3. Add the dried chillies, Sichuan pepper, ginger, garlic and star anise and fry for another minute, then pour in the water, add the sugar, soy sauce and salt and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. For the dip, pour sesame oil into each small bowl and add the finely chopped garlic, coriander and spring onion.

5. Pour the hot broth into a pot on a table-top burner and arrange the raw ingredients on plates around it.

6. Everyone dips their own pieces into the broth: the beef for 10-15 seconds, vegetables, tofu and mushrooms for 2-3 minutes, the noodles at the end, then dips them in the sesame oil sauce to eat.

Tip: Chongqing hot pot is a shared feast around the table – the sesame oil dip cools down each fiery bite. If you have no table-top burner, keep the pot at a gentle simmer on the stove and ladle from there.