Buddha Jumps Over The Wall 佛跳牆

 

It’s just such a colorful name for a dish, isn’t it?

Anyway, I’ve only found one restaurant that has it, and since I was able to find the spice mix online I decided to make it. I’ve been wanting to, anyway, so why not!

I have to admit, it turned out really well. The spices smell interesting, but the broth really was amazing.

I did modify the ingredients, because the package instructions were so imprecise. I don’t usually follow directions, anyway. I also did not use shark’s fin for obvious reasons. 

Would I do it again? Maybe, if soaking and particularly cleaning the sea cucumbers didn’t take forever!

I blanched the chicken first so there’s no scum when cooking the final dish.

• 1 whole chicken, about 4 lbs
• 1 sachet of spices 
• canned abalone in brine, 2-8 pieces depending on size, rinsed
• 3 oz dried scallops, soaked
• 12 medium sized dried mushrooms, soaked 
• 8 oz dried sea cucumber (soaked overnight till soft, then cleaned) 
• 3.5 oz dried fish maw (boiled for 15 mins and rinsed)
• 2 oz mung bean noodles, soaked in hot water with 1 tsp hondashi dissolved, then drain and cut into 4” pieces
• hondashi to taste

1. Put the chicken in a large pot and cover with cold water (about 12 cups). Bring to just a simmer. Rinse the chicken and set aside.
2. In a large clean pot, bring 12 cups of water to a boil. Add the chicken and all other ingredients except the mung bean noodles and hondashi, then cover and simmer for two hours, turning the chicken every half hour.
3. Remove the chicken, while keeping the broth simmering, Add the drained mung bean noodles and hondashi to taste.
4. Shred the meat and return the meat to the broth. Bring to a boil again before serving.