Braised Chicken with Lotus Seeds and Gingko Nuts

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My Auntie gave me a cook book, Food For Thought, by Vivian Quahe-Seah some years ago. There are many cookbooks on my shelf but this is one of my most treasured. Not just because of the variety recipes there, but also because it is an inspiring labour of love from a lawyer, wife, mother of two and cook, who led her life with faith and courage right down to the day she finally succumbed to cancer in 2002. 

Being a wife and mother myself (and also an ex-lawyer with a passion for cooking), there are many things she shared in her lengthy and yet gripping and honest testimony at the beginning of her cookbook that resonate with me. Death comes to us all, eventually, as I am reminded this week as I paid an emotional visit to a friend who is also suffering from cancer. But people like Vivien and my friend, who press on to face suffering and death with courage, faith and hope, always inspire me and remind me that there is an eternal reality that is greater than anything that we will ever face on earth. The reality of God, and His love, that sustains us now and will continue to sustain us when our bodies fail. "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" 2 Corinthians 4:18

Thank you Vivien, for your cookbook and the sharing of your life story that has nourished not just our bodies but also our hearts. And thank you for this excellent recipe, that has made its way onto my dinner table as a regular feature.

Braised chicken is a common dish in many Chinese families. Typically, chicken is braised with chinese mushrooms, and potatoes or carrots, in a savoury soya sauce gravy.  It's a dish that we cook often, as it is easy and the children love it. This version features lotus seeds and gingko nuts, and is a refreshing change from
the usual braised chicken recipe. The more-ish gravy, savoury and yet also sweet with the fragrance of lotus seeds and gingko nuts, is so delicious that we always ladle it over our rice until it is drowning in it.  And there are many times I have ended up drinking up every last drop as if it were soup (after all my rice is finished!).

I hope you will enjoy this recipe too!

Recipe for Braised Chicken with Lotus Seeds and Gingko Nuts
by Vivien Quahe-Seah
(serves 6-8)

Ingredients
1 medium chicken
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp gingko nuts (peeled version, in vacuum packs or tins)
2 tbsp lotus seeds
2 tbsp wolfberries (kei chee)

Seasoning
1 tbsp rose wine (Mei Kuei Lu Chiew)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp sugar
4 cups water

Method

1. Clean chicken and marinate with dark soya sauce and salt for at least 1/2 hour.
2. Deep fry chicken in oil. Brown chicken but do not fry until crispy.
3. Heat pot with a little oil and fry wolfberries, gingko nuts and lotus seeds for about 1-2 minutes.
Add seasoning and water and bring to a boil.
Add in chicken. When boiling lower heat and cover pot with lid. Simmer for about 1/2 to 3/4 hour until chicken and nuts are tender.

Vivien's Tips: 
 - Take care not to overboil the chicken. Meat must be firm yet tender. Whilst cooking chicken do not turn the chicken over more than once.
- Vivien credits her aunty Ailin for teaching her this recipe.

Xiaoli Feidao's notes:
a) Vivien's recipe calls for the chicken to be deep fried and cooked as a whole. This no doubt makes for a more beautiful presentation especially if serving to guests. However, for convenience, I use chicken parts instead - either a whole chicken chopped into parts, or a mixture of drumsticks and wings. If using chicken parts, please note that the chicken will cook faster, so do not overboil or all the meat will fall apart.
b) I usually add a little more water as I like the gravy. If you do so, adjust the seasoning accordingly.
c) If you cannot find rose wine, you can use Chinese Shao Hsing wine as a substitute.