Sun-dried and salt-aged radish soup -
Ingredients?
- 1/2 cup loosely packed sun-dried salt-aged radish
- 1/2 medium sized Silkie chicken
- 5 to 6 dried big shiitake or similar type of mushrooms
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/4 cup goji berries
- 2 slices ginger
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 5 1/2 cups water
- Some salt (if needed)
How?
Sun-dried and salt-aged radish can be kept for years, and the ones I used here probably were stored for at least 3 years.
Rinse these radishes gently then pat dry. Cut away the very bottom of dried mushroom stems if desired, rinse then soak in cold water till the mushrooms turned soft. Keep that water, need to add in to the soup later on.
Cut the chicken into big pieces. Quickly blanch the chicken and set aside for later use.
Peel the garlic cloves. Thickly slice the ginger, keep the skin on.
Prepare a clay pot and drizzle some sesame oil. Turn to medium high heat and add in garlic cloves and ginger slices. Wait till the oil gets hard and starts searing these aromatic ingredients. Sear till colored but not burnt.
Add in chicken and sear for about 30 seconds.
Pour in the water used to soak the mushrooms, extra 5 1/2 cups of water, and radishes. Bring to a boil and scoop out any brownish foam floating on the surface.
Lower the heat a little to keep it at a simmer. Cook for another 10 minutes or so then transfer the mushrooms over. Continue to simmer for about 15 minutes.
Taste and see if more salt is needed. However, the dried radishes were salt-aged, so for myself, no additional salt were needed. Add in goji berries and cook for another 5 minutes.
Goji berries are crucial, since this soup can be on the salty side, adding something sweet to the mixture can balance off the flavors. A few more dried jujubes can also be added if preferred.
Dark is great.
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