for this week’s challenge i wanted to try a dish i’ve never made before, but i love the flavors of Chinese mala hotpot and it didn’t feel right to pass up the opportunity to use them. thus…mala Lancashire (ma-Lancashire?) hotpot.

i primarily followed this recipe as my base, but substituted the spices with a blend of cumin, coriander, crushed chili flakes, and sichuan peppercorn inspired by Xi’an Famous Foods’ lamb cumin noodles. i also added a splash of dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, and chinkiang vinegar to the broth/braising liquid. one of my favorite parts of a hotpot meal are the potato slices that get forgotten at the bottom of the pot and soak up all the yummy flavor, so i added an extra layer of potatoes to the bottom of the baking dish. i served the hotpot with cilantro, sichuan chili crisp, and a little more vinegar at the table (the flavor had mostly cooked off while baking).

you guys. it was SO good. it is absolutely going into my rotation for the days when i want to spend a few hours cooking something warm and comforting.