Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Clear Steamed Chicken Soup with Ginger

I wonder if this tastes similar to Tinola Soup.

To make this soup, which comes from A Spoonful of Ginger by Nina Simonds, you combine all the ingredients in a pot, cover it tightly with a foil and a lid, and cook in a water bath in the oven for 2 hours. The steaming produces a limpid, intense broth. You remove the aromatics - ginger and scallion - before serving, so all you are left with are the chicken pieces and an aromatic, rice wine-infused tonic.

One 3- to 3 1/2-lb (1.3-1.5 kilos) chicken, excess fat removed, cut into 10-12 pieces
1-3/4 cups rice wine, preferably Shaoxing
10 scallions, trimmed and smashed lightly with the side of a knife
10 slices fresh ginger (the size of a quarter), smashed with the side of a knife
6 cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste

  1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Blanch the chicken pieces for 1 minute. Drain.
  2. Combine the chicken, rice wine, scallions, ginger, and boiling water in a Dutch oven or casserole with a lid. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil, then cover with the lid. Place the pot in a roasting pan and fill the pan with 1-1/2 inches of boiling water. Bake for 2 hours, replenishing the boiling water as needed.
  3. Skim the top of the broth to remove any impurities and fat. Add the salt. Remove the ginger and scallions and ladle the soup and chicken into bowl.
Serves 6 as a first course.

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