Vietnamese Seafood Chili Crisp Hot Pot
A bright, aromatic, seafood‑rich Vietnamese hot pot built on a simple chili‑crisp broth. It’s fast to prep, visually stunning, and perfect for a feast‑style dinner with friends. The broth is clean but bold — shallot‑heavy chili crisp, lemongrass, lime, and fish sauce — and the seafood cooks right at the table for maximum freshness.
Equipment
- Large pot
- Tabletop burner
- Serving platter
Ingredients
Broth Base
- neutral oil
- Vietnamese-style chili crisp
- lemongrass
- garlic
- onion
- fish sauce
- sugar
- seafood stock or water with mushroom seasoning
- tomatoes
- lime juice
- salt
Seafood
- shrimp
- mussels or clams
- squid
- white fish
- scallops
Vegetables and Add-Ins
- napa cabbage
- watercress or spinach
- enoki mushrooms
- firm tofu
- limes
- cilantro
- Thai basil
- cooked rice or rice noodles
Instructions
- Heat neutral oil in a large pot over medium and add chili crisp, smashed lemongrass, crushed garlic, and sliced onion. Cook until aromatic.
- Stir in fish sauce and sugar. Add seafood stock and tomato wedges. Bring to a simmer and adjust with lime juice and salt. Keep warm.
- Arrange shrimp, mussels, squid, fish, and scallops on a large platter.
- Arrange napa cabbage, greens, mushrooms, and tofu on a separate platter.
- Set herbs and lime wedges in small bowls.
- Transfer the broth to a tabletop burner and keep at a gentle simmer.
- Let guests cook seafood and vegetables directly in the broth and serve with rice or rice noodles.
Notes
- Keep the broth clean and bright so the seafood can season it naturally.
Add extra chili crisp at the table for more heat.
Leftover broth makes an excellent noodle soup the next day.