Steamed Chicken With Mushrooms (nam gong co tiem ga)
6 dried Chinese mushrooms
1 small roasting chicken, about 2 pounds
1 tablespoon finely shredded fresh ginger
3 spring onions, sliced diagonally
good grinding of black pepper
1 small glove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions: Pour hot water over mushrooms and leave to soak at least 20
minutes. Cut off and discard stems, cut mushroom caps into thin slices. Divide
chicken into two parts. (Depending on what you want to do with the remaining
flesh, cut the bird into halves lengthwise, or reserve the breast and wings for
another dish) With a sharp knife bone the chicken. Use the bones for stock, and
cut the flesh (together with skin) into bite size pieces Put these into a
heatproof bowl with the mushroom slices, ginger, Spring onions, pepper, garlic,
salt and sesame oil. Mix well. Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan or
deep frying pan or wok. Put the bowl in the pan water should come a third of the
way up the bowl. Cover and steam for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Check periodically to ensure that water has not boiled away, and add more
boiling water if it is getting low. Serve with rice, noodles or cellophane
noodles.