He Shou Wu, Goji and Four-Herb Chicken Stew

Why people make this stew

Some signs that tend to appear earlier than expected — a dull complexion, premature grey strands, hair that lacks body, a general flatness of energy, or joints that feel less comfortable than they should — can point, in the framework of traditional Chinese food therapy, to what practitioners call liver blood deficiency. The classic four-herb formula, si wu tang, has been used for centuries in this context: dong quai to move and nourish blood, white peony to gently soften and regulate, sichuan lovage to promote circulation, and rehmannia to provide deep nourishment. In this stew, that classic base is enhanced with he shou wu (the herb most closely associated in Chinese tradition with hair darkening and kidney-liver support) and goji berries. The result is a rich, double-boiled stew with a distinctive herbal aroma and a flavour that is more pleasant than you might expect from such a medicinal-looking ingredient list.

Method

1. Blanch the chicken pieces in boiling water for 2 minutes. Rinse with cold water and set aside.
2. Rinse all dried herbs and soak briefly in cold water.
3. Place all ingredients into a double-boiler pot (dun zhong). Pour boiling water over the ingredients to fill the pot.
4. Set the inner pot into the outer pot of boiling water. Cover and double-boil (dun) for approximately 3 hours.
5. Alternatively, if using a regular pot: combine everything with 2.4 L of water, bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 2 hours until the liquid reduces to 0.9–1.2 L.
6. Drink the broth warm. The dates and goji berries can also be eaten.

Nourilo’s Tips

• The four herbs — chuan xiong, dang gui, bai shao and shu di — form the classical formula known as si wu tang, which has been used for centuries to nourish blood and vitality. This stew will have a noticeable herbal taste, but most people find it pleasantly deep and warming rather than unpleasant.
• If you tend to heat up easily or develop breakouts after taking rich tonic soups, start with half the herb quantities and see how your body responds before increasing.
• Women with uterine fibroids: remove dong quai from the recipe and add a few pieces of longan (yuan rou) instead — the soup remains nourishing without the blood-moving action that is best avoided with fibroids.
• The stew can be cooked in a pot rather than double-boiled — simply use 2.4 L of water and simmer for 2 hours.