Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup

Medicinal Food

The first day of winter has arrived. Do you have a female friend or relative who has recently given birth and is currently recuperating from the experience? Are you that person whose hands and feet are perpetually icy?

I am not a medical professional, but I have a wide variety of “medicinal” recipes, including this Taiwanese sesame oil chicken soup.

Sesame Oil Chicken Soup is a staple in Taiwanese households, valued for its ability to nourish and strengthen the bodies of both young mothers and older people. Let’s analyze some of this soup’s components from a Chinese medical perspective:

• Chicken: makes you stronger physically.
• Black sesame oil: nourishes the blood (Several foods with a black coloration, including rice, seaweed, dates, and mushrooms, have been found to improve blood health.)
• Ginger: increases blood flow and drives away cold and dampness.
• Michiu, or rice wine, boosts circulation and energy levels (Qi)

All living things in China are said to be born in the spring, grow throughout the summer, be harvested in the fall, and then be hidden away during the winter. The human race shares universal characteristics.

In this context, I interpret “hidden” as winter is an excellent time to “feed” our bodies and build up our reserves.

Our family could use a nourishing tonic, and this sesame oil chicken soup fits the bill perfectly; it’s delicious and doesn’t take forever to make. Prepared in slightly more than an hour.

Recipe Notes

Alright, we can start the recipe now. This soup is made with chicken legs I cooked myself. They are inexpensive and remain tender even after a long time in the soup’s simmering pot.

Adding vegetables like napa cabbage, soft tofu, or glass noodles will turn this soup into a complete meal.

If you decide to include these items, do so in the final stages of cooking the soup, right before serving, so that the cabbage is tender, the tofu is heated through, and the noodles are cooked.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs. of chicken legs (1.35 kg)
• 3 tbsp. of black sesame oil (45 ml)
• 3 oz. of ginger (85g, skin on, cut into thick slices)
• 1 bottle of Taiwanese rice wine (750 ml)
• 20g of rock sugar
• 4 cups of water
• Salt (to taste)
• 2 scallions (julienned)

Instructions:

1. Chicken should be washed and dried with a paper towel before cooking.
2. Prepare your dish by heating a wok or heavy-bottomed pot until it smokes over high heat. Reduce to medium heat and wait for a moment. Next, incorporate the sliced ginger and black sesame oil. You should give it 2 minutes to cook.
3. Brown the chicken legs on all sides by searing them over high heat (in batches if necessary).
4. When the chicken legs have browned nicely, reduce the heat to medium and add the rice wine, rock sugar, and water.
5. Simmer for 30 minutes on medium heat after coming to a boil. Just under a boil is ideal for the soup. The chicken and soup flavors should be cooked to perfection without losing any liquid.
6. Once the chicken legs are tender, the soup is done. Add salt to taste, and sprinkle scallions on top before serving.