Home: home-made fragrant pot

Location: home.

This was my first attempt at fragrant pot (麻辣香鍋). Originated from
Chongqing, fragrant pot is basically a cross between Chongqing hotpot
and mixed stir fry (i.e. chop suey). It involves stir-frying anything
one deems edible in oil infused with red chilis and spices. Spices
usually include: star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, fermented beans,
Sichuan amomum, cloves, fennel seeds, whole nutmeg, and cinnamon
bark. Stir-fry items usually include: shrimp, chicken wings, chicken heart,
fish balls, pork belly, bean products, and all sorts of veggies. After 1.5
hours of intense laboring, the end result was surprisingly good: the anise,
peppercorns and chili emboldened the natural flavors of the chicken and
fish balls, while their pungency cut through the fat of the pork belly and
chicken skin. The chili oils augmented the crispness of the vegetables
and the bean products -- the culmination was the interplay between the
spices and strips of beancurd sheets, which was especially heavenly.
A massive heap of parsley and an entire garlic bulb (papery coverings
peeled, of course) were added towards the end to add an extra layer of
countryside freshness. Without a sliver of a doubt, I was immensely
sated and satisfied by this fine effort.