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I was first introduced to Black Bone Chicken many years ago in Taiwan. What a revelation!! Granted, it does look a little odd. The color of the chicken is grey and the bones are black, but the chicken flavor is intensely good! And chicken soup never tasted so good!! The Chinese have long credited this variety of chicken as having superior therapeutic properties. And when it’s cooked in a soup or stew, the dish becomes a potent “yang” tonic and a nurturing curative for a cold or the flu. Black bone chickens are now available in supermarkets or butchers in Chinatowns all over the U.S.

You’ll never taste a more delicious panacea for fighting colds or the flu.

Nina

Six Servings

10 cups water
11/2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
8 slices fresh, unpeeled ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed lightly with the flat edge of a knife
6 slightly underripe Bosc or Anjou pears
2 lemons

1. In a large pot, combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and fresh ginger. Heat until boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30 minutes so that the flavors marry.
2. Using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, peel the pears, and rub the outside with cut lemons to prevent them from turning brown.
3. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and add along with the pears to the cinnamon liquid. Heat until boiling and reduce the heat to low, so that the water barely boils. Cook uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pears are just tender. You can poke them with the tip of a knife to test them. Remove and place in a bowl.
4. Transfer about 3 cups of the cooking liquid to a smaller saucepan. (Discard any ginger and cinnamon sticks.) Heat until boiling, reduce heat to medium, and cook about 35 minutes, or until the liquid thickens slightly. It should be more like syrup.
5.Arrange the pears in serving bowls and pour the cinnamon-ginger syrup on top. Serve. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.
© Copyright Nina Simonds

2 pounds halibut or a firm-fleshed fish such as salmon, haddock, etc.

Marinade:
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
3 slices of fresh ginger (about the size of a quarter), smashed with the flat side of a heavy knife or a cleaver
1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Seasonings:
3 tablespoons finely shredded scallions
2 tablespoons finely shredded fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil, heated to sizzling

Rinse the fish fillets lightly and pat dry. Place in a bowl. Combine all the marinade ingredients and lightly pinch the ginger slices in the rice wine to impart their flavor. Add to the fillets and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
 
Place the fillets skin side down on a heatproof plate with a rim and pour the marinade over, taking out the ginger slices. Cover with a piece of parchment or wax paper. Place the dish in a microwave oven and cook for about 6 minutes. The fish will be opaque all the way through when done. Sprinkle the cooked fish with the shredded scallions and shredded ginger. Drizzle with the hot sesame oil.

Serves 6
© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

Delicious Beijing Dumplings

Makes about 40 dumplings

1 small head Chinese (Napa) cabbage, weighing about 1 ½ pounds

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound lean ground pork, such as pork butt

1/3 pound Chinese garlic chives, ends trimmed *

For the seasonings, mixed together :

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine or sake

1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon cornstarch

To cook and serve:

35-40 round dumpling or gyoza skins*

3 quarts water

Dipping Sauce, mixed together:

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup water

1. Cut off the stem of the cabbage and separate the leaves. Rinse and drain. Stack the leaves one on top of the other in piles and cut into thin slices, turn and chop finely. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cabbage and salt and let sit for 30 minutes. (This will draw water out of the cabbage.) With your hands, squeeze out as much water as possible.
2.  Cut off the stem ends of the garlic chives and chop finely. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cabbage with the ground pork, minced chives, and Seasonings. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon. The mixture should be stiff and rather sticky. If it seems loose, add another teaspoon of cornstarch.
3. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each dumpling skin and fold the skin over to make a half-moon shape. Spread a little water along the edge of the skin. Use the thumb and index finger of one hand to form small pleats along the outside edge of the skin. The inside edge of the dumpling should curve in a semicircular fashion to conform to the shape of the pleated edge. (You may also use a small press.) Place the sealed dumplings on a baking sheet that has been lightly dusted with cornstarch.
4. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add half the dumplings, stirring to prevent them from sticking together and once the water boils again, cook for 5 minutes. Remove with a handled strainer, drain, and cook the remaining dumplings. Serve the boiled dumplings with the dipping sauces.

*Garlic chives may be purchased at any Asian market. If unavailable, substitute 1 cup minced scallions plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Dumpling or gyoza skins also may be purchased at any Asian market and at some supermarkets.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

A Master Marinade

This simple master marinade is excellent for six to eight servings of salmon and other fish fillets and seafood including halibut, cod, haddock, and scallops. I sometimes like to substitute maple syrup for the honey which gives it an appealing alternate flavor.

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer 5 minutes. Use as directed in the recipe below or for other foods.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

Six Servings

The combination of honey and orange juice gives the salmon a lovely glaze. To prevent the salmon from sticking, brush or spray oil generously on the grill and use a firm hand with your spatula. I like to make any leftovers into a main-dish salad the next day for lunch or dinner.

1 recipe Ginger-Honey Marinade
6 Salmon steaks, weighing about 6 ounces each and about 1-inch thick, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

1. Pour half of the prepared Ginger-Honey Marinade into a bowl and cool slightly. Keep the other half warm.
2. Put the salmon in one layer on a shallow pan, pour half the marinade mixture on top and turn the fish so that all sides are covered. Cover with plastic wrap for 30 minutes. Place the salmon on a cookie sheet or pan that has been covered with aluminum foil.
3. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place the salmon on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until salmon flakes when prodded with a fork. Remove and serve. Carefully slide the fish off the pan and serve with the remaining marinade spooned on top of each hot steak. Serve with a stir-fried geen vegetable and steamed rice or quinoa.

*Eating oily fish three times per week may reduce the risk of heart disease and blood clots. I prefer wild salmon when available, but you can also use trout or Atlantic char.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

Classic Chicken Broth

Ingredients

9 cups water
1 whole 3- to 3½ pound chicken, fat trimmed and cut into 10 or 12 pieces
1 cup rice wine or sake
6 slices fresh ginger, each the size of a quarter, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
6 whole scallions, ends trimmed, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife

1 small head Chinese cabbage (preferably Napa) (about 1½ pounds)
1 teaspoon canola or corn oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
½ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, and cut into quarters
2 ounces bean threads (cellophane noodles), softened in hot water to cover (if unavailable, substitute 1/3 pound thin rice noodles or vermicelli, softened in warm water to cover)
2 teaspoons salt

1. Prepare the Classic Chicken Broth by putting the water with the chicken, rice wine or sake, ginger slices, and scallions in a large pot and bringing to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1½ hours . Remove the chicken pieces and skim the broth to remove any impurities.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut away the stem of the cabbage and discard. Cut the cabbage in half and cut the leaves into 2-inch squares, separating the leafy sections from the tough ones. Place the cabbage sections in a bowl. Set by the stove with the shiitake mushrooms.
3. Heat a Dutch oven or casserole, add the oil, and heat until very hot. Add the garlic cloves and the harder sections of the cabbage and stir-fry over high heat about 1 minute. Add the rice wine or sake, cover, and continue cooking about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the leafier sections, the shiitake mushrooms, and the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes uncovered.
4. Drain the bean threads and cut them into 4-inch lengths. Add them to the soup and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken pieces to the soup and stir in the salt. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

© 2008 Nina Simonds “A Spoonful of Ginger”

 Candied Spices

Ingredients

6 Navel Oranges, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick slices
¼ cup tightly packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon minced candied ginger

Arrange the orange slices side by side on a serving platter. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and candied ginger and sprinkle over the oranges. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature, and serve.

Variation: substitute grapefruit slices for the oranges

© 2008 Nina Simonds “China Express”

Pork With Sweet Potatoes

Six to Eight Servings
½ pound boneless butt or shoulder, trimmed of excess fat or gristle
2 teaspoons olive or canola oil

Seasonings
3 stalks scallion, ends trimmed, cut into 1 ½-inch sections, and smashed lightly with the flat side of a cleaver or knife
3 garlic cloves, smashed lightly with the flat side of a cleaver, and sliced thin
3 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed lightly with the flat side of a cleaver or knife
½ teaspoon hot chili paste
1 stick cinnamon
½ whole star anise, smashed or ½ teaspoon anise seeds

Braising Mixture
4 cups water
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ rice wine or sake
2 tablespoons sugar
3 sweet potatoes or yams, about 1 ½ pounds, peeled and cut into 1 ½ -inch cubes
2 tablespoons minced scallions for garnish

1. Cut the pork into 1 ½-inch cubes.
2. Heat the oil until very hot in a 4-quart casserole or a Dutch oven. Add half the pork pieces. Sear the outside of half the pork over high heat until brown, turning once. Remove and sear the remaining meat. Set aside.
3. Reheat the pan and oil, add the Seasonings. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds, then add the Braising Mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add the pork, bring the liquid to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Let simmer covered for 35 to 40 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, stir, cover, and continue cooking for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Serve the pork and potatoes, atop a bed of stir-fried bok choy with some of the braising mixture spooned on top and accompanied by steamed rice.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

Photo: Nina Simonds

To make a cup of ginger tea, put 6 slices of smashed fresh ginger about the size of a quarter in a mug.

Add boiling water, cover with a saucer, and let steep 3 minutes.