Blood-Nourishing Beauty Chicken Wine Soup

Why people make this soup

High blood pressure gets all the attention, but plenty of people run low — often young women, those depleted after childbirth, people with weak digestion, and those who do a lot of mental work. Nourilo was teaching a postnatal-care class in Fanling when a student brought him a homemade bottle of glutinous rice wine, the kind her hometown loves best. He used it to cook this “blood-nourishing beauty chicken wine soup” — fragrant beyond words. Besides being a classic for new mothers, it is traditionally regarded as especially good for people prone to low blood pressure.

Method

1. Soak the lily buds until soft and tie each into a knot.
2. Soak the wood ear until soft, trim the stems, and cut into pieces.
3. Slice the ginger; pit the red dates.
4. Cut the chicken into pieces, rinse, and marinate for 30 minutes with salt, light soy sauce, white pepper, and cornstarch.
5. Heat oil and fry the ginger until fragrant, then add the chicken and pan-sear until golden.
6. Add the lily buds, wood ear, and red dates and stir-fry briefly.
7. Add seasoning, the rice wine, and 600 ml of water; cook about 12 minutes until the chicken is done.

Nourilo’s Tips

This soup is delicious and fragrant, and is traditionally enjoyed to bring a rosy, healthy glow; women may find it a good tonic after their period. But if you are a nursing mother, drink it only after feeding the baby, so the alcohol does not affect the child.