Slow-Braised Free Range Chicken with Dried String Beans

This dish is a testimony of the wisdom of traditional Chinese cooking. In the past, when there was no proper refrigeration and transport, fresh vegetables were in short supply for much of the year in the north of China. Vegetables were preserved by smoking, drying, salting and pickling. In the olden days, string beans were popularly preserved by drying in the sun immediately following the harvest. We’ve used these dried string beans in this rustic, country-style chicken soup.