Shark Fin in Clear Broth
A prized traditional Zhejiang soup of shark fin, pig lung, and hen steamed together. The broth is clear and jade-green, the shark fin translucent and glutinous, and the pig lung as tender as tofu.
Ingredients
Instructions
Steam the chicken
Cut off the feet of the cleaned chicken, open the cavity, remove the innards, pull out the trachea and esophagus, and wash clean. Chop 1 cleaned chicken into 4 large pieces, chop through the bones on each piece, place in a pot, add 1 kg of clear broth, set over high heat to boil, skim off the foam, remove the chicken pieces and wash clean, then place in a bowl. Add 100 g of water to the soup pot, add salt and bring to a boil, skim off the foam, pour into the chicken bowl, add cooking wine, scallion knots, and ginger slices, cover with a round plate, and steam over the pot for about 6 hours. Set aside.
Steam the shark fin
Place the shark fin in a pot of boiling water and bring to a boil, then lift it out and rinse in clear water, draining off the water. Use half a chicken, chop through the bones, place it together with the pork fat in a pot, add clear water (enough to submerge the chicken), set over high heat to boil and remove the bloody water, lift out and wash clean, then place with the shark fin in a bowl. Add 500 g of clear chicken broth, add salt, scallion knots, ginger slices, and cooking wine, cover with a round plate and steam for 2 hours until very tender, remove, lift off the plate and pick out the scallions and ginger, cover with the ham skin, and steam for another 15 minutes. Remove, drain off the soup, and pick out the ham skin, scallions, and ginger.
Steam the pork lung and assemble
While steaming the shark fin, rinse the pork lung with clear water, wash out the blood, strip off the membrane, cut open the lung leaves, and remove the bronchi. Use half a chicken, place together with the pork lung in a pot, add clear water (enough to submerge the chicken), set over high heat to boil, lift out and wash clean, then place in a bowl. Add 500 g of clear broth, add salt, scallions, ginger, and cooking wine, and steam until the lung is soft like tofu (without breaking apart). Remove the lung and place it in the shark fin bowl, then combine into a serving bowl. Arrange the blanched bok choy hearts and ham slices on top of the shark fin. Take the chicken bowl out of the steamer, pour the original chicken broth into the shark fin serving bowl, drizzle with hot chicken oil, and serve with white pepper powder and cilantro on the side.