Chicken-Wrapped Shark Fin

Name: Chicken-Wrapped Shark Fin
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 45 min
Ingredients: 250 g Soaked shark fin (rinsed, fishy smell removed); 1 (about 750 g) Young hen (feathers and innards removed; leg and neck bones removed); 25 g Ham (cut into thick strips); 25 g Winter bamboo shoots (cut into thick strips); 100 g Pork (cut into 3.3 cm strips); 25 g Spinach hearts (blanched); 25 g Lard; 10 g Soy sauce; 1 g Pepper; unknown Salt (amount unclear in original source); 15 g Cooking wine; 15 g Ginger; 15 g Scallion; 10 g Chicken oil; 25 g Secondary broth

A Sichuan winter specialty in which shark's fin along with seasonings are stuffed into a deboned young hen and slow-cooked until the chicken is tender and the fin has softened.

3h 45m

Easy

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Ingredients

Soaked shark fin (rinsed, fishy smell removed) 250 g

Young hen (feathers and innards removed; leg and neck bones removed) 1 (about 750 g)

Ham (cut into thick strips) 25 g

Winter bamboo shoots (cut into thick strips) 25 g

Pork (cut into 3.3 cm strips) 100 g

Spinach hearts (blanched) 25 g

Lard 25 g

Soy sauce 10 g

Pepper 1 g

Salt (amount unclear in original source) unknown

Cooking wine 15 g

Ginger 15 g

Scallion 15 g

Chicken oil 10 g

Secondary broth 25 g

Instructions

Preparing the chicken and shark fin

Slaughter and pluck the young hen, then make an opening at the wing root to remove the innards. Rinse well and remove the leg bones and neck bones, setting them aside. Rinse the soaked shark fin and blanch it twice in boiling water to remove the fishy smell. Add ginger, scallion, and cooking wine to a pot of boiling water; bring to a boil and blanch the shark fin twice more, then remove and set aside.

Filling and wrapping

Cut the ham and winter bamboo shoots into thick strips, then mix them evenly with the shark fin. Stuff the mixture into the chicken cavity, then wrap the chicken tightly in a piece of clean cheesecloth and place it on a plate with the opening facing up. Rinse the pork and cut it into 3.3 cm strips, then chop the chicken leg bones and neck bones into 3.3 cm segments.

Simmering

Heat a wok over the fire. Add the lard and heat to about 50% hot (approximately 110 C). Add the pork and chicken bones, then add the soy sauce, pepper, salt, cooking wine, ginger, scallion, and secondary broth. Once boiling, skim off the foam and pour everything into a clay pot. Place the wrapped chicken into the pot. After it comes to a boil, reduce to low heat and simmer until the chicken is tender and the shark fin is soft. Remove the chicken, discard the cheesecloth, and arrange the chicken on a plate with the blanched spinach hearts arranged around it.

Thickening and pouring the sauce

Pour the original braising liquid from the chicken into an iron pot and reduce until concentrated. Stir in the chicken oil, then pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.