Name: Chrysanthemum Pot (菊花鍋)
Yield: This recipe will be fine for 8 to 10 people.
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breast; 3 to 4 tablespoons Chinese hot mustard; 3 to 4 tablespoons Chenkong or red-wine vinegar; ¼ teaspoon finely minced peeled ginger; 1 teaspoon sesame oil; 2 pounds fresh spinach; 3 to 4 tablespoons chili-pepper sauce; 1 pound fillet of beef or flank steak; Some Radish Flowers; 1 pound fillet of sole, flounder, or pike; 1 pound large shrimp; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; Some Carrot Flowers; 8 to 10 cups chicken stock; 2 to 3 dozen small clams; 1 pound celery cabbage; Chrysanthemums, stems removed; A bunch of watercress; 4 to 5 squares bean curd; 1 to 2 tablespoons roasted and crushed Szechuan peppercorns; 3 to 4 tablespoons chili-pepper oil; 1 pound squid or canned abalone; 4 to 6 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander; 2 ounces presoaked transparent noodles

Preparation info

This recipe will be fine for
8 to 10
people.

Appears in

The Key to Chinese Cooking

By Irene Kuo

Published 1977

About

This is so named because it’s traditionally served in the autumn, when the weather is cool and the chrysanthemums are in full bloom. The flowers are used not only in great sprays around the room but also, stems removed, as decorations on the platters themselves.

The ingredients, and the quantity, depend on your preference and the number of people. As a general guide, calculate about ½ pound