Bird's Nest Congee
Ingredients:
2 ounces bird's nest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon Chinese Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
6 to 8 ounces potatoes slivered, then boiled until soft
2 ounces chicken breast, minced very finely
4 cups superior stock
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1/4 cup Jinhua ham, minced
Preparation:
1. Soak the bird's nest in cold water for two hours, then drain. In a saucepan, bring four cups of water to the boil, turn off the heat, and add the bird's nest. Cover and let this stand overnight.
2. Drain the bird's nest using a fine strainer, then sprinkle the salt onto it. Gently squeeze the bird's nest to remove any remaining water.
3. Inspect the bird's nest to make sure it is clean and free of any feathers; should you find sone, use a tweezer to remove and discard them.
4. Put the bird's nest, ginger in a bowl and cover with aluminum foil. Steam overboiling water for thirty to forty-five minutes; remove bowl and stir bird’s nest into a large pot.
5. Add sugar, wine, cornstarch potatoes, chicken breast, and superior stock and stir vigorously as it is brought to a boil. Then beat in the egg white, and remove the pot from the heat. Pout the contents into individual serving bowls, and garnish with a teaspoon of the minced ham, and serve.
Additional Ingredients
Several alternatives that can be added to your Bird Nest Soup to make it more delectable
Rock Sugar. Often consumed as a dessert delicacy, Bird Nest is widely-expected to taste sweet. Rock sugar is an essential ingredient in cooking Bird Nest. Use suitable amount of rock sugar according to personal preference.
Pandan leaves have a wonderful fragrance and are often used in asia to magnify the aroma of dishes. Pandan leaves can be cooked together with the Bird Nest in the internal pot for a heavenly scent!
Red Dates help the body to produce more red blood cells and boosts immunity. it is also very good for the throat.
Dried Longans help to produce a 'calming' sensation to the Bird Nest soup and has therapeutic properties.
Ginger is a catalyst, helping the antioxidants in the Bird Nest soup to be better absorbed by the body. It is alkaline and helps the body to digest food, aiding blood circulation and is a wonderful natural remedy for colds.
Bird's Nest Soup
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1-2 pieces bird's nest (yan wo/燕窝)
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2 rice bowl hot water
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10 slices American ginseng (花旗參) optional
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3 tbsp rock sugar to taste
Directions
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Soak bird's nest pieces in a bowl of cold water for 1/2 to 1 hour, until softened. Pluck out any feathers or debris using kitchen tweezers. Rinse and drain. To prevent wastage, run soaking water through a fine sieve to catch the small bits of bird's nest.
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Add soaked bird's nest , hot water and ginseng slices in an inner stewing pot. Cover with lid.
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Place stewing pot inside a larger pot such as a slow cooker. Double-boil for about half to one hour. When the bird's nest is cooked to desired texture, stir in rock sugar to taste and cover for about 5 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve fully. Serve at room temperature or chilled.