Yunnan Steam Pot Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 free-range chicken (about 1.4kg), chopped into 4cm pieces
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 3 spring onions, cut into lengths
• 10g dried astragalus root (huang qi)
• 8g codonopsis root (dang shen)
• 10 dried goji berries
• 6 dried jujube dates
• 60g dried Yunnan wild mushrooms, soaked (optional)
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 handful coriander, to serve

Before you cook

• Blanch the chicken pieces in boiling water for 3 minutes, then drain and rinse them under warm water.
• Rinse the astragalus, codonopsis, goji berries and jujubes in cold water.
• Soak the dried mushrooms in warm water for 30 minutes if using, then squeeze them out.
• Set up a steam pot inside a larger pan, or use a heatproof lidded bowl set on a trivet in a deep pot.

Steps

1. Pack the blanched chicken into the steam pot in an even layer.
2. Tuck the ginger slices, spring onion lengths and soaked mushrooms in among the chicken.
3. Scatter the astragalus, codonopsis, jujubes and goji berries over the top.
4. Sprinkle over the Shaoxing wine, salt and white pepper.
5. Cover the steam pot with its lid and seal the join with a strip of wet paper towel or foil if steam is escaping.
6. Set the steam pot over a pan of boiling water so the chimney sits directly above the steam.
7. Steam over a steady medium heat for 3 hours, topping up the water below every 45 minutes.
8. Lift the lid carefully and check that a clear golden soup has collected around the chicken.
9. Taste the soup and adjust the salt.
10. Scatter with coriander and serve the pot straight to the table, giving everyone soup first and meat after.