Chef Ivy Jiang · Alvin Garden
CHICKEN AND cloud ears are a favoured pair for hot pot–style recipes. A Chinese hot pot, not to be confused with the fondue-style meal also called hot pot, is traditionally a clay pot full of cooked food placed in the middle of the table. This dish, like many Chinese chicken recipes, calls for bone-in chicken because it’s more succulent than the boneless cuts.
Cloud ear is one of the six major edible fungi (the others are guihua ear, silver ear, yue ear, yellow ear and stone ear), which are known to help reduce cholesterol, promote heart health and play an important role in vegetarian cuisine. Fresh cloud ears are hard to find, but dried ones make a good substitute. To rehydrate the cloud ears, rinse them first to remove any dirt or other impurities, then soak them in clean cold water for 20 to 30 minutes before cooking.
1 tsp sea salt
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 Tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 free-range chicken, 2 to 3 lbs, in bite-size pieces
1½ Tbsp vegetable oil
1 oz ginger, peeled and sliced
2 to 4 dried red chili peppers (halved, if you prefer more heat)
1 oz dried cloud ear fungus, rehydrated and cut in bite-size pieces
½ cup chicken stock
IN A LARGE bowl, combine sea salt, soy sauce and wine. Add chicken and, with a spoon, mix well until meat is well coated. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.
Heat vegetable oil in a wok on high, add ginger and chili peppers and allow to sizzle for 30 seconds. Stir in chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Pour in leftover marinade and cloud ears and sauté for another 3 minutes. Gently pour in chicken stock, cover and bring to a boil.
Transfer the contents of the wok to a large clay hot pot, cover and cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for another 5 minutes. Place the clay pot in the middle of the table and serve hot with steamed rice.