Steamed chicken and asparagus

6 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1 Piece dried tangerine peel
1 (4-lb) chicken
2 slices Fresh ginger root
1 Clove garlic
1 Bunch Chinese parsley
½ teaspoon Salt
Sugar
4 Cloves star anise
1 can (16-oz) asparagus tips
½ cup Cream (half-and-half)
¼ teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Cornstarch
2 tablespoons Water

Directions

1. Soak tangerine peel.

2. With a sharp knife, make an incision along the chicken's backbone, but do not cut through bone.

3. Mince ginger root, garlic and soaked tangerine peel; stem parsley.

Combine with salt and sugar.

4. Spread mixture evenly inside bird's cavity. Add star anise. Then sew up cavity securely or skewer.

5. Place chicken in a large heatproof bowl. Steam 40 minutes (see "How-to Section"). Then transfer bird to a cutting board and let cool.

6. Meanwhile, transfer chicken liquids to a saucepan. Drain canned asparagus tips; mash ½ cup of these and add to saucepan. Arrange remainder in a shallow heatproof dish.

7. When chicken has cooled, carefully cut in 1-½-inch strips, running from backbone to breastbone; then in 1-½-inch squares. Arrange, skin-side down, over asparagus, in heatproof dish. (Reserve chicken legs and wings for other dishes.)

8. Steam on a rack 20 minutes more.

9. Add cream and remaining salt to saucepan with chicken liquids and mashed asparagus. Heat slowly, stirring, but do not boil. Meanwhile blend cornstarch and water to a paste; then stir in to thicken.

10. Remove heatproof dish from steamer. Place a serving platter on top and invert quickly so that chicken squares are skin-side up, topped by asparagus tips. Pour thickened sauce over and serve.

From <The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook>, ISBN 0-517-65870-4. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .

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