Ingredients
2 whole chickens (about 600 g / 1.3 lbs each), 500 g (about 1 lb) pork belly from the upper part of the ham, 150 g (about 5 oz) winter bamboo shoots, sliced, 75 g (about 2.6 oz) ham hock, 25 g (about 1 oz) dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, chicken broth to taste.
Seasonings
75 g Shaoxing wine, 20 g each of salt, scallion sections, and ginger slices, 15 g MSG.
Instructions
1. Soak the center-cut ham and ham hocks in clean water, then scrape and wash them thoroughly. Clean and gut one hen, then place it in a pot with the ham hocks to make broth. Mince the breast meat of another hen into a fine paste (called "white paste"), mince the leg meat into a fine paste (called "red paste"), and mince the bones into a fine paste (called "bone paste").
2. After the chicken broth is fully simmered, it is further refined with three different "clarifying agents" to achieve a crystal-clear, bottom-visible broth. Place the cured ham square in a clay pot lined with a bamboo mat, add Shaoxing wine, scallion sections, ginger slices, and water, then simmer over heat until it is about 70% tender.
3. After it has cooled, score the meat side into 3 cm (about 1.2 inch) squares, then score the skin side in the same pattern, place the skin-side down in a soup plate, add water and steam for 30 minutes, remove and drain the liquid; replace with fresh water and steam again, then repeat twice more with chicken broth until the ham is tender and falling apart; while steaming the ham, place the shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoot slices in a dish and steam until cooked through.
4. Remove the ham from the steamer, discard the liquid, and invert it onto a plate. Arrange the shiitake mushrooms and winter bamboo shoots on top of the ham, then ladle in boiling chicken broth. This dish features a crystal-clear broth, rich and savory flavor, and tender, aromatic ham.