Well, at the request of some colleagues, I felt led to prepare a dish that has long been associated with confinement staple...Chinese rice wine chicken soup. This dish is delicious and taste acquisition has to come through practice as I can see in my girls; for though banana in many ways, have also grown to love the dish .
Simple and easy to prepare, the dish can be served as a main dish at meals.
The ingredients are easily gotten ... if you stay in Malaysia...rice wine, ginger, garlic, eggs & black fungus (optional), sesame oil, cooking oil, salt and sugar to taste.
Rice wine from my faithful supplier, the generous, gracious Por Por...I need to get acquainted with her supplier too.
I minced quite a bit of ginger...the amount depends on how much ginger one prefers ; but when under confinement circumstances , the more the better. Also, some garlic was minced and added to the ginger...maybe a clove.
Saute the minced ginger and garlic in a combination of sesame and normal cooking oil until the fragrance of the ginger in sesame oil is in the air...an indication that it is now ready to add in the sliced chicken pieces. Last evening, I used a whole chicken and 2 big portions of chicken thigh.
Stir fry the chicken pieces patiently until it is slightly brown and the richness of the ginger and sesame oil is thoroughly absorbed.
Meanwhile, you can on a separate pan, fry some eggs and leave them aside. If you like the black fungus, soak some in water until soft and ready for cooking.
When fried until slightly brown, add in the rice wine. For that amount of chicken cooked, I had to pour in a whole bottle of rice wine. Then I added 2 small bowls of water. If you are alcohol resistant like Puan Loy, add in more wine and don't add water.
A spoonful of sugar will enhance taste. Then add salt to taste. There is an old tale here which says that if the rice wine is prepared for a baby girl, it will come out sweet otherwise...sour when it is a boy. Believe it or not? When your turn comes, you will know.
Next, add in the fried eggs and black fungus...both are optional...but they do enhance the final concoction.
You need to continue to simmer the concoction under low fire for at least 20 minutes before it can be finally served.
It's so very good ; that was the general verdict; truthful or not...try the recipe. Besides chicken, some have tried using lean pork or even pork kidneys and it can turn equally palatable. The sesame oil and ginger supposedly remove unwanted 'air' from women during confinement times and prepares the womb for the next intake...powerful.
Puan Looi : Puan Chong, how to cook ah? I need to get ready for my son's wife and my daughter's turn.
Puan Chong : Read the blog...no need to repeat so many times...hahahah, like real.
Puan Daisy : Puan Chong, your rice wine caused us to recall our confinement days...everyone of us has stories to relate ; so nostalgic...we are getting old ; lots of stories to tell.
Maybe, I should do catering when I retire...Sara bakes, mama cooks...hmm ;
perfect combination.
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