Free Chinese Recipes

Ingredients

• 450 g (1 lb) dried shark’s fin
• 1.5 liters (3 pints) stock
• 4 slices root ginger
• 20 ml (4 teaspoons) salt
• 2 Chinese celery/cabbages of the best quality
• 2 medium onions
• 1.35 kg (3 lb) chicken
• 900 g (2 lb) piece of leg of pork
• 90 ml ( 6 tablespoons) soy sauce
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) white wine
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons) lard (for frying the cabbage) (use oil if not available)

Serve 10

** Free Chinese Recipes **

Method:

1. Soak the shark’s fin in water for 3 hours. Drain off the water and boil and simmer the shark’s fin in 500 ml (1 pint) stock with 3 slices root ginger and 10 ml (2 teaspoons) salt for 1 hour. Drain away the stock (it can be used for other purposes). Repeat the process, with a second pint of stock, Cut off the outer leaves of the cabbage, retaining only the hearts. Cut the hearts vertically into 2 equal halves. Cut the onions into this slices. Quarter the chicken and the pork.

2. Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan. Add the pork and chicken pieces and turn them in the hot oil for 7-8 minutes, until they begin to torn brown. Drain them completely.

3. Place the fins, pork, chicken and onion in a casserole, or heavy cooking pot. Add the remaining stock 500 ml (1 pint) and the soy sauce. Bring to a gently boil, reduce the heat to the minimum (put an asbestos sheet under the pot or casserole), and leave to simmer for 2 1/2 hours, turning over every 1/2 hour. Sprinkle with the wine, and cook for a further 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, heat the lard in a large frying pan. When it has melted, turn the cabbage halves a few times in it, leaving them to sauté for 2 minutes on either side.

5. Add 45 ml/3 tbsp of the liquid from the chicken pork, fin mixture to the frying pan. Turn over the cabbage hearts again and leave them to sauté for a further 3 minutes.

6. Spread out the pieces of cabbage on a fine China serving dish. Spoon the pieces of shark’s fin from the pot and arrange them neatly on top of the cabbage. Ladle a few tablespoons of the rich gravy from the pot carefully over the fins, and serve.

Note: Every region has its own version of this banqueting dish. The Szechwan version of shark’s fin is less exotic and more down to earth than others, being only flavored by pork and chicken. The chicken and pork used in the cooking can be eaten in other recipes.