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Red Ginger
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White, Shari
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Wood, Catherine
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IACP Cookbook Award Winner

Health and Special Diet

(Cookbooks that focus on healthful eating, nutrition,
dietary concerns, and special or restrictive diets)

A Spoonful of Ginger:
Irresistible, Health-Giving
Recipes from Asian Kitchens
Nina Simonds, 1999, Alfred A. Knopf

Soups, according to Mrs. Wang, are a vital and important way of dispensing
herbs and tonics, second only to teas. "Traditionally, Asians adore soups, and
when we are making herbal tonics one of the most popular cooking methods
is "double-boiling," where the soup is steamed inside a container so that the
broth is very clear and intense. It's the most effective way of extracting the
pure essence of the herb into the soup," she tells me.
One of the most spectacular soups, which has become a house specialty, is
"Buddha Jumping over the Wall." It is a clear soup with many types of sea-
food, fresh and dried, poached in a "superior" stock, a rich broth made
with chicken and pork bones and seasoned with scallions and ginger.
Customers are equally enthusiastic about the Turtle Soup. It is believed
to be especially good for the immune system and it's excellent for strength-
ening qi, or energy. The restaurant also makes a special crocodile meat
soup that's excellent for asthma.
Exotic or mundane, humble or pretentious, soups are guaranteed to satisfy
even the most demanding palate. The following chapter offers a varied
selection of refined, homespun, and tonic soups.


Clear-Steamed Chicken Soup with Ginger

Clear-steaming, otherwise known as double-boiling, is a simple
technique used by Chinese cooks where a food is cooked slowly
within a closed container. The result is a very clear, intense broth.

1 whole chicken, about 3 to 31/2 pounds
Soup Broth
6 cups boiling water
13/4 cups rice wine, preferably Shaoxing wine
(available at Asian markets)
10 whole scallions, ends trimmed and smashed
lightly with the flat side of a knife
10 slices fresh ginger, the size of a quarter,
smashed with the flat side of a knife
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1. Remove any fat from the cavity opening and around the neck of the chicken. Rinse lightly and drain. Using a heavy knife or a cleaver, cut
the chicken, through the bones, into 10 to 12 pieces. Heat 2 quarts
water until boiling and blanch the chicken pieces for 1 minute after the
water reaches a boil to clean them. Drain the chicken, discarding the
water, then rinse in cold water and drain again.
2. Place the chicken pieces and the Soup Broth ingredients in a heatproof
pot or 2-quart soufflé dish. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil
and place on a steamer tray or small rack. Fill a wok with enough water
to just reach the bottom of the steamer tray or rack and heat until boiling. Place the food on the steamer tray or rack over the boiling water, cover,
and steam 2 hours over high heat, replacing the boiling water in the wok
as necessary. Alternatively, you may steam the soup in the oven: Preheat
the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the ingredients in a Dutch oven or casse-role with a lid and, before putting on the cover, wrap the top tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil; then cover. Place the pot in a lasagna pan or
a casserole and fill with 11/2 inches boiling water. Bake for 2 hours, replenishing the boiling water as necessary.
3. Skim the top of the broth to remove any impurities and fat. Add the
salt. Remove the ginger and scallions, ladle the soup and pieces of the
chicken into serving bowls, and serve. To reheat and retain a clear broth,
steam or bake in a closed pot for 10 to 15 minutes, or until piping hot.

Miso Chicken Soup with Snow Peas and Tofu

Miso soup has always been one of my favorites; it is so soothing and satisfying.
Here I offer a variation of the most traditional recipe, using a chicken broth as
the base rather than the classic dashi (bonito tuna stock). Shredded chicken,
tofu, and snow peas round out the flavor, making it a meal in itself.

1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds, trimmed of fat
12 cups water
8 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter,
smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
1/2 to 2/3 cup medium-colored miso (chu miso
or shinsu ichi miso), or to taste
1 pound firm tofu, cut into thin slices about 1/4 inch
thick and 11/2 inches long
3/4 pound snow or snap peas, ends snapped
and veiny strings removed
3 tablespoons minced scallion greens

1. Cut the chicken through the bones into 10 to 12 pieces. Put the chicken pieces, water, and ginger in a heavy pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat
so that the liquid is at a simmer and cook about 11/2 hours, skimming the
broth to remove any impurities. Remove the chicken pieces and let them cool. Remove the ginger slices and discard. Skim the broth to remove any
fat. Scoop out 1/2 cup broth and reserve it.
2. Using your hands or a knife, remove the skin and bones from the
chicken and cut or shred the meat into thin, julienne shreds. Add the
chicken shreds to the skimmed broth. In a small bowl mix the reserved
chicken broth with the miso paste and stir until smooth.
3. Add the tofu slices and snow peas to the soup and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat, add the miso mixture, and stir to blend. Heat the soup
until near boiling; then ladle it into serving bowls. Sprinkle the top of
each bowl with some minced scallion greens and serve.

Hot and Sour Salmon with Greens
Six servings

2 1/2 pounds baby bok choy or bok choy,
stem ends and leaf tips, trimmed
8 to 9 wholes scallions, ends trimmed, cut into
thin julienne slices on the diagonal
3 heaping tablespoons fresh ginger cut into
very thin julienne shreds
6 salmon steaks, about 6 ounce each
Dressing:
6 tablespoons soy sauce
3 1/2 tablespoons Chinese black vinegar or
Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons minced garlic

1. Trim the tough outer leaves from the bok choy and discard. Rinse the stalks and leaves and drain. Cut the stalks in half lengthwise. Cut the
halves diagonally into 2-inch sections. In a bowl toss the scallions and
ginger with the bok choy sections. Arrange on a heatproof platter.
2. Mix the ingredients of the Dressing and pour into a serving bowl.
3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the salmon steaks on top of
the greens. Pour into a roasting pan several inches of water and heat
until boiling. Carefully place the platter of salmon and vegetables on
top of a rack or steamer tray. Cover the top of the pan tightly with
aluminum foil. Steam 7 to 9 minutes, or until the fish is cooked.
4. Serve the salmon from the heatproof platter or arrange the steamed vegetables and salmon on serving plates. Spoon some of the dressing
on top and serve with steamed rice.

10 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
8 slices fresh, unpeeled ginger, about the size of a quarter,
smashed lightly with the flat edge of a knife
6 slightly underripe Bosc or Anjou pears
2 lemons

1. In a large pot combine the water, sugar, cinnamon sticks and fresh
ginger. Heat until boiling, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 30
minutes so that the flavors marry.
2. Using a vegetable peeler or a paring knife, peel the pears, and rub the outside with cut lemons to prevent them from turning brown.
3. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and add along with the pears to the cinnamon liquid. Heat until boiling and reduce the heat to low, so that
the water barely boils. Cook uncovered for about 25 to 30 minutes, or
until the pears are just tender. You can poke them with the tip of a
knife to test them. Remove and place in bowl.
4. Transfer about 3 cups of the cooking liquid to a smaller saucepan.
(Discard any ginger and cinnamon stick.) Heat until boiling, reduce
the heat to medium, and cook about 35 minutes, or until the liquid
thickens slightly. It should be like a syrup.
5. Arrange the pears in serving bowls and pour the cinnamon-ginger
syrup on top. Serve. To serve cold, pour the syrup over the pears
in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for several
hours before serving.