Jade Palm Offering Longevity
A renowned dish from the Man Han Quan Xi imperial banquet, made with bear paw as the main ingredient, braised and steamed with ham and hen, and garnished with peach-shaped fish paste.
Ingredients
fresh bear paw
1 (about 1750g)
cooked ham
250g
lean pork hind leg
1kg
hen (gutted and cleaned)
1
apple (cut in half)
1
fish paste (seasoned and shaped into peaches)
150g
cooking wine
40g
fine salt
2g
ginger (smashed)
100g
scallion (cut into sections)
100g
wet cornstarch
20g
clear broth
500g
chicken fat
15g
Instructions
1
Step 1
Fill a pot with water, add the bear paw, simmer over low heat for 5-6 hours, then remove. While still warm, peel off the fur and paw skin by hand, then use tweezers to pluck out any fine hairs, and wash clean. Slit open the hen from the abdomen, remove the organs, and wash. Cut the scallion into sections and smash the ginger.
2
Step 2
Fill a pot with water, add the bear paw along with 50g each of scallion and ginger, bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then remove. In another pot of water, place the hen, pork, ham, scallion, ginger, and bear paw, add 20g of cooking wine, and simmer over low heat for 2-3 hours until the bear paw can be separated from the bone. Remove and pick out all the large and small bones from the back side.
3
Step 3
Season the fish paste and shape it into peach forms; steam until cooked, then arrange around the edge of a large platter. Place the bear paw in a large bowl, add 150g of clear broth along with a little cooking wine and fine salt. Cut the apple in half and place on top of the bear paw, then steam for 30 minutes. Remove, drain off the liquid, discard the apple, and invert onto the center of the platter.
4
Step 4
Pour 350g of clear broth into a pot, add cooking wine and fine salt, bring to a boil, and skim off the foam. Stir in cornstarch thinned with water to form a thick sauce, drizzle with chicken fat, and pour over the bear paw and jade peaches. Serve.
