Double Boiled Herbal Chicken Soup

Double boiling is slow cooking ........ means to put a soup pot or any covered ceramic or steel pot inside a bigger pot, immerse in boiling water, and let the soup cook at a lower temperature.  Hence the soup is cooked from heat generated from the boiling water and not from direct heat source.

Double boiling lets the soup ingredients slowly release their nutrients into the soup, thus making it tasty and wholesome.  It's a long cooking process, roughly averaging 2 to 4 hours.  The tip is not to open the cover to check on the soup as it'll bring down the temperature and affect the cooking process.  The plus point is there's little evaporation and the soup will not boil over.  The only thing is to monitor that there's enough water in the bigger pot and not let it run dry.  Of course, nowadays, the slow cooker is another alternative to double boiling, saves the hassle of checking the water level.

clockwise .... red dates, 'hoi chook', wolfberries and dried 'Wai San'

healthy soup, not 'heaty', suitable for both young and old alike

this ceramic double boiled jar has long served its time,......it  cannot contain much soup because of its size, not in use anymore, now an 'antique' show piece.

Recipe for Double Boiled Herbal Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 500 gm free range chicken, with skin removed
• 4 cups hot water
• 15 gm Wai San
• 15 gm Hoi Chook
• 10 gm Wolfberries
• 15 red dates, seeded
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Wash and cut up the chicken to fairly  big pieces, trim off excess fat.
2. Prepare a double boiler.  I use a stainless steel double boiler pot.  Fill  enough water in the big pot and let it boil.
3. Add 4 cups of hot water into the smaller pot together with all the herbs and chicken pieces.
4. Steam for 3 hours, on medium heat, checking on the water level of the bigger pot, now and again.
5. Add salt to taste, dish out into bowls.
6. Serve hot.