Hello again one and all. Did you enjoy my previous post? Did you try it for yourself? I know R. would love for me to remake the pie but I have no intention of remaking anything … onwards to newer and better things! No desserts for me today, oh no siree. I made some healthy steamed chicken in a gingery broth with a side of plump Chinese mushrooms and bright green broccoli. R. did try to twist my arm this afternoon in the hopes of getting some cake, but he was quickly shot down. He hasn’t been keeping to a very healthy diet of late, and I am not impressed. Hazards of living a mere walking distance to a chip shop. Anyway, this dish I am sharing with you today is a very homey dish, one which will be familiar to many of my readers in the Asian part of the world. Growing up, Mom used to make a similar dish and I used to hate it because she’d leave the ginger quite chunky and it would ninja itself onto your spoon and travel to your mouth … where you’d bite down on it and yelp as the strong taste permeates up your nose and down the back of your throat. Mum would always retort, “… don’t make that face; ginger is good for your digestion!” Today’s recipe won’t have any of that going on. I have ensured the dish retains all the flavour of ginger with none of the unfortunate mishaps that come with chomping down on a chunk of ginger.
Steamed Ginger Chicken with Mushrooms & Broccoli
- 6 chicken wings, flats separated from drums
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 cm ginger
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 6 dried Chinese mushrooms
- 1 cup broccoli florettes
- 2 tbsp green onions
There is only two mouths to feed in my house, so I tend to make my dishes in small portions (unless it is a brownie recipe). This dish, however, contains mushrooms, so that means I will be feeding just me today. I am using chicken wings because I think they hold up well during the steaming process and don’t dry out. Besides, who doesn’t like chicken wings? Simply separate the flat from the drum and place them in a bowl. Rub them with some salt and sesame oil, then grate ginger and garlic over them. Rub those thoroughly onto the skin of the chicken. Next add a tablespoon of oyster sauce, mix that all over then set the chicken aside for an hour.
Have your mushrooms soaking in some water until they are well hydrated and soft. I usually leave them in a bowl of warm water overnight. That way I know they’ll be more than ready to use by lunchtime the next day.
Some people add other things to this dish like dried scallops, Wolf berries, dried lily buds … etc. But I like to keep mine simple and to the point. Sometimes I like to add about a tablespoon of Chinese Shaoxing wine to the chicken because it give a more authentic aroma once cooked, but I was fresh out of the stuff today. In it’s place I used some of the reserved liquid from soaking the mushrooms.
After the hour is up, pile the chicken and mushroom into a heat proof bowl and chuck it in a steamer for 30 mins, on medium high heat. Then for the last 8 mins or so I place the broccoli over the top to steam along with the chicken and mushrooms. You can also boil them separately if you’d like better control over their doneness. Steam can cook vegetables very quickly and if you aren’t careful your broccoli will be overcooked and mushy.
Turn off the heat, garnish with green onions and serve immediately. A wonderfully scrumptious meal with all the goodness of healthy eating. The chicken will release its own juices during cooking and what you are left with is a flavourful broth at the bottom, perfect for spooning over rice.
I enjoyed this dish every much because it has been a good few years since I have made this for myself. The last time I made this I was still living in Singapore … sheesh, a good eight years ago. I had a rice cooker-cum-steamer back then. But here in the Netherlands I had to improvise my pot and steam this using a pastry ring lying on the bottom. And then I forgot to top up the water and I burnt the pot badly. Lordy, it’s got a very black bottom now and I don’t think it will ever return to its original state.
Anyhoo, do give this one a go if you are a fan of Chinese food or if you are looking for healthy, low-calorie meal ideas. In the meantime, I am off to do some research on how to cook lamb rogan josh for my next cooking experiment.
~ enjoy! ~
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