Zu'an Shark Fin
A renowned Hunan specialty, made by slowly simmering rehydrated jade-knotted shark fin with plump hen, pork shoulder, and dried scallops over a long period.
Ingredients
soaked jade-knot shark fins (wrapped in fine white gauze)
2000 g
fine salt
8 g
MSG
2.5 g
dried scallops (trimmed of tough edges, steamed)
50 g
pepper salt
1 g
fatty old hen meat (plucked, gutted, cut into large chunks)
1500 g
knotted scallions
50 g
pork knuckle meat (scraped clean, cut into chunks)
1000 g
sliced ginger
50 g
Shaoxing rice wine
150 g
rendered chicken fat
25 g
clean water (added during second braising)
1500 g
chicken stock (for first braising)
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Slaughter the chicken, remove all feathers, gut and wash thoroughly, cut into large chunks; scrape the pork knuckle meat clean, wash, cut into chunks, then blanch both in boiling water, remove and rinse with clean water to wash off blood foam. Pound the scallions and ginger. Trim the tough edges off the dried scallops, wash clean, add scallions, ginger, rice wine and water, steam in a steamer and set aside.
2
Step 2
Take a large earthenware pot, line the bottom with a bamboo mat, place the shark fins wrapped in fine white gauze inside. Add chicken stock, rice wine, scallions and ginger, bring to a boil over high heat, then move to low heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
3
Step 3
Remove the shark fins from the pot, discard this broth. Layer the pork knuckle meat, knotted scallions and sliced ginger at the bottom, put back the shark fins and chicken chunks, add the steamed scallop broth, Shaoxing rice wine, fine salt and 1500 g clean water, cover with a plate, bring to a boil over high heat, then move to low heat and simmer for about 4 hours until the shark fins are soft, tender and fragrant.
