Drip Chicken Essence (Di Ji Jing)

Why people make this

Drip chicken essence is one of those old-fashioned home remedies Nourilo loves because it is honest and simple: pure, fat-skimmed chicken broth with nothing diluting it. The half-bowl or so you get is the concentrated essence, traditionally given warm to help someone rebuild strength after surgery, a long illness, or childbirth. Best of all, you also get tender steamed chicken to eat afterward, so nothing is wasted.

Method

1. Ask the butcher to skin the chicken, then trim off the fatty parts at home.
2. Chop into large pieces and lightly crack the bones with the back of the knife.
3. Set a steaming rack inside a double-boiler pot, then place the chicken on the rack so the dripping juices aren’t reabsorbed by the meat.
4. Lay a few slices of ginger on top. Add no water. Seal the pot with foil so steam can’t get in.
5. Set the pot inside a wok with water and double-boil (steam) for 2 hours.
6. Skim off the surface oil from the small amount of essence collected, and serve warm.

Nourilo’s Tips

Making it yourself means you get both the essence to drink and the chicken to eat. You can also double-boil it in a rice cooker: set the pot inside, add 1.2–1.5 L of water around it, press the switch, and you don’t need to watch the flame. Suitable for women after childbirth too.