Braised Chicken with Flower Mushrooms and Sea Cucumber

Why people make this dish

This is the kind of dish that feels like a special occasion but is rooted in practical, everyday food wisdom. Nourilo picked up a batch of small pre-soaked frozen sea cucumbers and a bag of flower shiitake mushrooms, combined them with a quality free-range chicken, and turned them into something deeply satisfying. Sea cucumber on its own has almost no flavour — that is actually part of its traditional appeal: it takes on whatever flavour surrounds it, which is why it needs good companions like chicken and mushroom. Flower shiitake mushrooms (the variety with a cracked, flower-patterned cap) are particularly prized for their aroma and deep umami. Together, this dish is traditionally valued for nourishing yin and supporting a healthy complexion.