Dragon-Tiger Fight

Dragon-Tiger Fight

　　Chinese Name: 龙虎斗

　　 Also Known As: Dragon-Tiger-Phoenix Stew

　　 Introduction

　　 "Dragon-Tiger Fight", also known as "Dragon-Tiger-Phoenix Stew", is a renowned traditional Cantonese dish famous both in China and abroad.

　　 Legend has it that this dish was created by Jiang Kongyi during the Tongzhi era of the Qing Dynasty. He served as an official in Beijing and had tasted all kinds of delicacies, and was quite knowledgeable about cooking. When Jiang Kongyi’s seventieth birthday was approaching, relatives and friends urged him to prepare a brand-new dish that no one had ever tasted before for his big day, prompting him to ponder repeatedly. One day, while he was resting with his eyes closed, he suddenly heard an old cat meowing incessantly. When he opened his eyes, he saw the cat clawing aggressively at a snake inside a cage, while the snake in the cage was raising its head and flicking its tongue, seemingly ready to pounce on the cat. A sudden inspiration struck Jiang Kongyi, and he conceived the idea of making a dish using snake and cat — with the snake representing the dragon and the cat the tiger. Since the two are natural adversaries, he named the dish "Dragon-Tiger Fight". When his birthday arrived, he served this new dish to his relatives and friends. Though they all found it delicious, they felt the cat meat lacked a bit of richness in flavor, and suggested adding chicken to enhance the taste. Jiang Kongyi took their advice and added chicken to the dish, which then became an instant success. Later, although the dish came to be called "Dragon-Tiger-Phoenix Stew", people still commonly refer to it as "Dragon-Tiger Fight".

　　 "Dragon-Tiger Fight" features a diverse mix of ingredients, tender and smooth meat, uniquely delicious flavors, and is highly nutritious — making it especially suitable for consumption in autumn and winter.

　　 Origin: Guangdong

　　 Category: Dish

　　 Preparation Method

　　 [Ingredients]

　　 200g three-snake meat (including cobra, golden ring snake, and python), 150g cat or leopard cat meat, 100g shredded chicken, 50g soaked fish maw, 175g shredded mushrooms, 75g shredded wood ear fungus, 50g shredded ginger, 250g cooking oil (actual usage 25g), 1 egg white, a little sesame oil, dried tangerine peel, salt, Shaoxing wine, and white liquor, 15g cornstarch, 750g chicken stock, 250g original snake soup, 15g shredded lemon leaves, 30g white chrysanthemum.

　　 [Method]

　　 (1) Slaughter live snakes, remove heads, tails, skin, and internal organs. Clean the "snake shells" (bone-in snake meat) and simmer them in a clay pot until cooked, then remove and shred the meat. Briefly blanch the cat or leopard cat meat in boiling water for one minute, then remove, rinse, drain, and simmer in a clay pot with water, ginger juice, white liquor, and scallions until cooked. Remove and shred the meat.

　　 (2) Shred the extracted snake and cat or leopard cat meat into fine strips, and marinate them with ginger, scallions, salt, and Shaoxing wine. First mix the shredded chicken with a little egg white and cornstarch, then heat a wok, add 250g of cooking oil, and when the oil is 40–50% hot, add the chicken shreds and stir-fry until just cooked. Remove and drain the oil. Boil the shredded ginger in water for about five minutes, then remove, rinse in clean water to eliminate the spiciness.

　　 (3) Place the snake meat, cat or leopard cat meat, and chicken shreds into a wok. Add chicken stock, snake soup, Shaoxing wine, and salt, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat. Next, bring to a rapid boil, thicken lightly with a little cornstarch mixed with water, add a little cooking oil and sesame oil, then pour the mixture into a large serving bowl. Sprinkle shredded white chrysanthemum and lemon leaves on top.