Chinese Herbal Recipes - Black Chicken Tonic with Red Dates
Chinese Herbal Recipes - Black Chicken Tonic with Red Dates is a traditional Chinese tonic food often served to women after childbirth, to restore their vitality and to enrich the blood. However, it is also a tonic food for everyone. In this recipe, it is combined with red dates (hong zao) and dried longan flesh (long yan rou), which further boost the blood-building and energizing properties of the black chicken. The sesame oil with warming properties lends an additional nutritional value to the dish.
Chinese Herbal Recipes - Black Chicken Tonic with Red Dates Ingredient:
1 fresh black chicken or 4 black chicken legs
10 dried longan flesh (long yan rou), rinsed
6 pitted red dates (hong zao), rinsed
2 spring onions, cut into lengths
1 stalk celery, cut into lengths
6 slices fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish
Chinese Herbal Recipes - Black Chicken Tonic with Red Dates Sauce Ingredient:
5 tablespoons rice wine
2 teaspoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Chinese Herbal Recipes - Black Chicken Tonic with Red Dates Method:
1. Wash and clean the chicken, then cut it into serving pieces.
2. Combine all the Sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well. Add the chicken pieces and mix until well coated. Arrange the
herbs on top of the chicken pieces, and place the spring onion, celery and ginger in between the herbs. Cover the bowl tightly with
aluminum foil and leave to marinate for about 30 minutes. Place in a steamer or wok and steam over boiling water for 1 hour.
Remove from the heat, take off the foil, sprinkle the chopped coriander leaves on top and serve hot.
Note:- If black chicken is not available, free-range chicken may be substituted.