Ginseng Chicken Soup 人参鸡汤

Two months ago, after running errands for my mother-in-law, I went to Tiong Bahru market to have lunch. While there, I went to the wet market and happened to see fresh ginseng and bought a packet home.

I finally decided to use the ginseng today. Being fresh and not dried, it doesn't require a usually longer time to cook it. The taste is milder as well, which is more acceptable by the kids. Personally, I preferred the soup using fresh ginseng too.

I had been advised to use stoneware/glassware when cooking using fresh ginseng. It's said to have some reaction if cooked using metal. I had use my earthen pot to make the soup.

Ingridents:

• 900ml Water
• 2 Large Chicken Drumstick
• 2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 2 Fresh Ginseng Root
• 5 Red Dates 红枣
• A small handful Wolfberries 枸杞子 (optional)

How to do it:

1. Blanch chicken.
2. In a non-metal pot of water, add chicken, ginseng root, red dates and wolfberries.
3. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
4. Skim off any scum.
5. Continue to simmer for an hour.
6. Add in wine and salt to taste.
7. Continue to simmer for a further 30 minutes.
8. Serve hot.