Braised Chicken with Ginkgo Nuts

Braised Chicken with Ginkgo Nuts

　　【Ingredients】

　　1,250g net hen, 250g ginkgo nuts, 750g clear broth, 500g lard, 20g chicken oil, 50g each of ginger, white garlic, and cooking wine, 2g each of pepper and carrot, 5g salt, 1g MSG, 25g wet starch

　　【Preparation Method】

　　Shell the ginkgo nuts and remove the sprouts. Heat the lard until 60% hot, then deep-fry the ginkgo nuts until the skins start to crisp, then remove. Dice the carrots into small plum blossom shapes and blanch until cooked. Boil the cleaned hen in boiling water, then remove and rinse thoroughly in clean water. In the clear broth, add ginger, scallions, cooking wine, pepper, and the hen, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat. When the hen is 80% cooked, add the ginkgo nuts and salt. When the ginkgo nuts become soft, place the hen on a plate and arrange the ginkgo nuts around it. Return the broth in the pot to high heat, remove the ginger and scallions, thicken with wet starch. Once the soup thickens, add MSG, chicken oil, mix well, and pour over the chicken. Arrange the carrots around the chicken before serving.

　　【Nutritional Content】

　　Cholesterol: 180mg Carbohydrates: 35g Protein: 14g Fat: 135g Calories: 1,546 kcal

　　【Flavor Characteristics】

　　A famous Sichuan dish. Made primarily with young chicken and ginkgo nuts, using steaming, boiling, and thickening techniques. This dish originated as a Taoist dish from Qingcheng Mountain in Sichuan. Taoist cuisine emphasizes nourishment, and both young chicken and ginkgo nuts are rich in nutrients. Especially, ginkgo nuts are high in phosphorus, offering benefits such as moistening the lungs and invigorating qi.