Astragalus Snake Meat
A nourishing soup stewed with five kinds of snake, chicken, and civet, valued for tonifying yin and the kidneys and for dispelling wind and dampness.
Ingredients
Snake meat (cut into fine shreds)
to taste
Chicken meat (cut into fine shreds)
to taste
Fish maw (cut into fine shreds)
to taste
Abalone (cut into fine shreds)
to taste
Oyster mushroom (cut into fine shreds)
to taste
Wood ear mushroom (cut into fine shreds)
to taste
Chrysanthemum (washed and petals trimmed)
5
Crispy fried dough (divided into 2 small dishes)
to taste
Lemon leaf (cut into shreds)
to taste
Ginger slices
to taste
Scallion segments
to taste
Lard
to taste
Cooking wine
to taste
Snake broth
to taste
Stock
to taste
Egg white (for coating chicken shreds)
to taste
Wet starch
to taste
White pepper powder
to taste
Soy sauce
to taste
Sesame oil
to taste
Instructions
1
Preparation
Divide the crispy fried dough into 2 small dishes. Wash 5 chrysanthemum flowers, trim their petals and place them on the crispy dough. Cut lemon leaves into shreds and arrange them on the chrysanthemum petals, then cut the chicken, fish maw, abalone, oyster mushroom and wood ear mushroom into fine shreds.
2
Stewing Snake Shreds
Heat the wok, add lard and heat until hot. Add snake shreds and stir-fry briefly, then pour in cooking wine. Add snake broth, season to taste, and bring to a boil. Transfer the mixture to a clay pot, add ginger slices and scallion segments, steam in a steamer for 1 hour then remove.
3
Simmering Ingredients
Simmer wood ear mushroom shreds, fish maw shreds and abalone shreds with seasonings and stock. Coat chicken shreds with egg white and wet starch, then deep-fry in hot oil until just cooked. Remove and drain excess oil.
4
Finishing the Dish
Add lard to the wok, pour in cooking wine, then add stock and snake broth. Bring to a boil, add all the meat shreds and season to taste. Add white pepper powder, soy sauce and sesame oil, thicken the sauce with wet starch, then pour into a serving dish and serve.
