Ingredients
Half a cleaned hen, 2000 g (about 4.4 lbs) oxtail (with skin), 100 g (about 3.5 oz) cooked ham, 50 g (about 1.8 oz) dried scallops, 3000 g (about 3 quarts) chicken broth.
Seasonings
100 g cooked lard, 100 g scallion segments, 100 g Shaoxing wine, 10 g MSG, 14 g salt, 50 g ginger knob, 5 g Sichuan peppercorns.
Instructions
1. First, blanch the whole chicken in boiling water until cooked through, then remove, skim off any blood foam, and rinse clean; slice the ham; remove the tendons from the dried scallops and rinse clean; singe any fine hairs off the oxtail over low heat, then scrub it clean, remove the large bone at the base of the tail, and chop into segments for later use.
2. Heat the rendered fat in an iron wok until hot, then add 5 g Sichuan peppercorns, 50 g scallions, and 25 g ginger, stir-frying until fragrant. Add the oxtail pieces and stir-fry over high heat to release any blood, then splash in 50 g cooking wine and continue stir-frying until the oxtail is just cooked through. Remove the oxtail, rinse clean, and drain thoroughly.
3. Place the chicken broth into a clay pot, along with 50 g of scallions and 25 g of ginger (lightly crush both the scallions and ginger), then add cooking wine and salt. Place the oxtail segments, dried scallops, ham slices, and chicken pieces into the clay pot as well. Simmer over low heat for 4 hours, adding more broth once during cooking if needed. Once the oxtail is tender, remove and discard the scallions, ginger, and chicken pieces (they can be used for another purpose). Stir in a pinch of MSG to taste, skim off any surface foam, and serve. This dish is rich in nutrients, with tender, fall-apart oxtail and a deep, savory broth.