Ingredients
Chicken 1000 g (about 2.2 lbs), sea cucumber 10 g, dried scallops 10 g, lean pork 10 g, bamboo shoots (yulan slices) 10 g, ham 10 g, fish maw 10 g, lotus seeds 5 g, button mushrooms 5 g, clear broth 100 g (about 1/2 cup), and milk broth 100 g (about 1/2 cup).
Seasonings
20 g Shaoxing wine, 10 g each of scallion and ginger, 5 g each of salt, shiitake mushrooms, and bok choy hearts.
Instructions
1. Cut sea cucumber, dried scallops, fish maw, lotus seeds, mushrooms, lean pork, ham, and bamboo shoots into 1 cm (about 1/2 inch) cubes. Blanch them in boiling water, then mix with scallions, ginger, and wine to create the "eight-treasure filling." Rinse the whole chicken thoroughly, make an opening at the neck, carefully debone the chicken completely, and stuff the prepared eight-treasure filling into the chicken cavity.
2. Remove the chicken head from the neck, tuck the opening closed, and blanch briefly in boiling water. Place the chicken in a soup bowl, add clear broth, scallion sections, ginger slices, Shaoxing wine, and salt, then steam until fully cooked. Remove from the steamer, pour off the cooking liquid, and discard the scallion and ginger. Slice the ham, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy hearts, and bamboo shoots, blanch them, then arrange neatly over the chicken.
3. Add lard to the pot and heat to 60% hot, then briefly fry the scallion segments and ginger slices. Add the milk broth, ginger juice, Shaoxing wine, and salt. Bring to a boil, then remove the scallions and ginger. Pour the broth into a basin and serve. This dish features tender chicken with a whole, intact shape.