Bean Curd Stick Braised Lamb Belly, and Stuffed Chicken Wings

Why people make these dishes

The winter solstice is nearly here, and as the saying goes, “the solstice is bigger than New Year.” Homemakers prepare a fuller table so the whole family eats happily and feels that warm sense of togetherness. Bro Niu shares two of his solstice favorites: bean-curd-stick braised lamb belly, and stuffed chicken wings. Chilled lamb belly and neck are tender cuts that braise beautifully; the bean curd sticks and winter bamboo shoot soak up the savory sauce, keeping the dish flavorful without feeling too greasy.

Who it suits / who should be cautious

• Suited to a cold-weather family table; the braised lamb is traditionally said to warm the middle and lower body and gently strengthen.
• Lamb is warming — those who run hot or have a weak stomach should go easy. The water chestnut and bamboo shoot help keep it from being too heaty.

Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)

• Lamb belly (yang nan): Warming; traditionally used to warm the body in cold weather.
• Water chestnut (ma ti): Added to cool and lighten the warming braise.
• Longan (gui yuan rou): Adds sweetness and tames the gamey note of lamb.
• Chicken wings with celery and coriander filling: A light, fragrant dish that is gently strengthening and not greasy.

Ingredients (1 family table, 2 dishes)

Dish 1 — Bean curd stick braised lamb belly:

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Lamb belly	~600 g
Winter bamboo shoot	1	Shelled, blanched, sliced
Fried bean curd stick	1 stick	Soak in hot water, de-grease
Water chestnuts	4	Peeled
Longan flesh	6
Minced ginger / garlic	1 tsp each
Seasoning	to taste

Dish 2 — Stuffed chicken wings:

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Fresh chicken wings	8	Deboned
Chinese celery	half a bunch
Coriander	1 sprig
Minced garlic	3 cloves
Shallots	2
Water chestnut	1
Dried scallop shreds	1 tsp
Minced ginger / seasoning	to taste

Method

Dish 1 — Braised lamb belly:

1. Blanch the lamb. Shell and blanch the bamboo shoot, then slice. Soak the fried bean curd stick in hot water to remove oil. Peel the water chestnuts.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil and fry the minced ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the lamb, bamboo shoot, water chestnut and longan and stir-fry.
3. Splash in wine, add water and seasoning. Bring to a boil, then braise over medium-low heat for 2 hours.
4. Add the bean curd stick; once it is tender and the sauce is thick, plate up.

Dish 2 — Stuffed chicken wings:

1. Debone the chicken wings. Marinate with melted maltose, white vinegar and light soy until flavorful, then air-dry.
2. Rinse and finely chop the celery, coriander and water chestnut; stir-fry with a little oil and salt until fragrant, then cool and stuff into the wings.
3. Heat oil and shallow-fry the wings until golden and cooked through, then arrange on a plate.

Bro Niu’s tips

Bean-curd-stick braised lamb belly is traditionally said to warm the middle and lower body and strengthen against weakness, and the stuffed wings are gently strengthening too. If deboning a whole wing is tricky, just remove the first-joint bone and stuff only the mid-section — far easier.

Community questions answered (selected)

• Q (访客): My 5-year-old has a kidney-qi-deficiency type nasal allergy with stuffy nose and nighttime cough for over a year — cold limbs, lots of night urination, especially 3–7 am. I’ve been making astragalus-and-atractylodes soup; the stuffiness eased but it seems a bit drying and the night urination is still heavy. What soup can I make? Bro Niu: For frequent night urination, use ginkgo nuts (10, cores removed) and euryale ~38 g in a soup or congee regularly. If the astragalus-atractylodes-siler soup feels drying, add 6 southern dates to simmer along.

• Q (蚊蚊妈妈): There’s a green date fruit from Taiwan — is it the same as what’s used to make red or southern dates? Is it cooling? Bro Niu: When green dates ripen and are sun-dried they can become red or southern dates. Fresh dates have the highest vitamin C, are sweet and neutral in nature, and are very good for the body.

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Published December 20, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 3 min read.