Chicken With Ginger & Rice Wine Soup

Method6 steps · about 1 hr 10 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash peanuts (5 oz), drain and cover with separate warm water to soak while preparing the chicken. Cover wood ear with separate warm water and soak about 5 minutes as the source guide, until softened; the source weight basis is unspecified, so if using dried wood ear follow its package hydration instructions until fully rehydrated. Rinse dried jujubes (10) twice and let soften while preparing the other ingredients. Cover dried daylilies (1 oz) with separate warm water for 2–3 minutes as the source guide. Wash ginger (2 oz) and cut into thin slices. These washing and soaking waters are separate from the measured soup water.

   Uses 5 oz raw peanuts · 1 oz wood ear mushrooms; source weight basis unspecified · 10 dried jujubes · 1 oz dried daylilies · 2 oz ginger · Separate clean water for washing and warm soaking of peanuts, wood ear, jujubes and daylilies

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Cut the whole chicken (1) into small bone-in pieces, removing skin and excess fat. Remove and discard the head and tail if present. If feet and neck are included, cut each into smaller pieces. Separate wings at the joints, reserve wing tips if desired and cut each wing into 2–3 pieces. Separate legs at joints; halve drumsticks and divide thighs into 2 pieces. Split the breast side from the back, then cut each into 4 smaller pieces. Use these prepared pieces in the soup; alternatively the author reserves drumsticks for another recipe, in which case set them aside explicitly. Do not wash raw chicken.

   Uses 1 whole chicken, cut into small bone-in pieces and skin removed

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Halve softened jujubes and remove/discard their pits. Drain wood ear, remove its tough core and tear into bite-size pieces. Drain soaked peanuts. Drain daylilies, rinse again, squeeze gently and trim tough ends.

   Uses Softened jujubes wood ear peanuts and daylilies · Separate clean water for washing and warm soaking of peanuts, wood ear, jujubes and daylilies

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Bring separate blanching water to a rolling boil in the wok. Add the prepared chicken pieces and stir gently to keep submerged. Cook about 2 minutes until the surface pales; this is an intermediate blanch, not a final doneness check. Transfer to a separate cold-water bowl for 20–30 seconds, then drain into a clean bowl. Discard blanching and cooling water.

   Uses Prepared chicken pieces selected for soup · Enough boiling water to submerge chicken pieces for blanching · Cold water for briefly cooling blanched chicken

   
5. 5

   Step 5: In a large soup pot heat the oil (1 tsp) and prepared ginger, stir-frying about 50 seconds until fragrant. Add drained soaked peanuts and stir-fry 20 seconds. Add the 8 cups soup water and prepared wood ear. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low and simmer 20–30 minutes, until peanuts soften.

   20–30-minute peanut simmer · 30 minUses 1 tsp oil · Prepared ginger slices · Drained soaked peanuts and prepared wood ear · 8 cups water for soup

   
6. 6

   Step 6: Once peanuts have softened, uncover and increase heat. Add the blanched chicken pieces, pitted jujubes and prepared daylilies. Cover, return to a boil, reduce to medium-low and cook about 15 minutes as the source guide, continuing until chicken reaches 74°C/165°F in its thickest meat away from bone. Uncover, add the drinking rice wine (1/2 cup) and cook about 1 minute. Dissolve the salt (1/2 tsp) in a ladleful of soup and return it evenly around the pot, then stir, turn off heat and serve the chicken, peanuts and other ingredients with the broth.

   15-minute chicken simmer; check 74°C before finishing · 15 minUses Peanut wood-ear and ginger broth · Drained blanched chicken pieces · Pitted jujubes and prepared daylilies · 1/2 cup drinking rice wine · 1/2 tsp salt