Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix

Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix

　　    A traditional Hunan dish symbolizing a joyful reunion and harmony. A plump and tender hen is selected, slaughtered, bled, and fully plucked. The beak sheath and foot skin are removed, and a one-inch-long incision is made in the skin between the neck and wing to extract the esophagus, crop, and trachea; then another incision of about one-and-a-half inches is made to remove the remaining internal organs, which are cleaned, leaving the chicken’s shape intact. The whole chicken is then steamed over high heat until the meat is tender, after which shelled boiled eggs are added and steaming continues for about 20 minutes. The chicken is then removed from the steamer, the broth is poured into a clean pot, and the chicken is turned over into a large bowl. Ginger slices are discarded, the original broth is brought to a boil again with added Chinese flowering cabbage and mushrooms, and once boiling, it is poured over the chicken in the bowl. A suitable amount of pepper is sprinkled on top. The final presentation resembles a phoenix with birds surrounding it — the chicken body is elevated, with the boiled eggs and Chinese flowering cabbage hearts appearing around the whole chicken, making it a delicious and symbolic dish. (Changsha)