Wonton and Whole Chicken Soup

Name: Wonton and Whole Chicken Soup ( )
Cuisine: Hong Kong (China)
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, 4½ pounds, with neck and giblets; 1 whole chicken, 4½ pounds, with neck and giblets; 1 whole chicken, 4½ pounds, with neck and giblets; 2-inch-long piece ginger, peeled and lightly smashed; 1 pound onions, quartered; 2 quarts plus ½ cup water; 1½ tablespoons salt; 24 small dried black mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover for 20 minutes, drained, rinsed, squeezed dry, and stems discarded; 18 dried red dates, soaked in hot water to cover for 20 minutes and drained; 6 celery stalks, cut crosswise into thirds; 24 small dried black mushrooms, soaked in hot water to cover for 20 minutes, drained, rinsed, squeezed dry, and stems discarded; ½-inch-thick slice ginger, peeled and lightly smashed; 1 teaspoon salt; 18 dried red dates, soaked in hot water to cover for 20 minutes and drained; 6 cups water; Salt; 2 pounds Tianjin bok choy, stalks and leaves separated and cut crosswise into ½ -inch-wide pieces; 24 cooked wontons; ¾ teaspoon baking soda (optional); 2 pounds Tianjin bok choy, stalks and leaves separated and cut crosswise into ½ -inch-wide pieces

Preparation info

Makes
8
Servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 2009

About

This is a simple name for a grand dish. It was created a few years ago as a fad by several chefs in Hong Kong and has become a new tradition. It calls for cooking a whole chicken in water, which creates a stock to which cooked wontons, sweet Tianjin bok choy, dates, mushrooms, and other vegetables are added, yielding a one-dish feast.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, 4½ pounds, with neck and giblets
2 quarts

Asia
Hong Kong (China)
Soup
Main course
Noodles

Method

Clean the chicken as directed and leave to drain for 10 minutes. Reserve the neck and giblets.

Pour the water into a large pot. Add the salt and stir. Add the ginger, onions, celery, mushrooms, and red dates. Place the chicken, breast side up, on top, add the neck and giblets, cover the pot, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat to