Black Chicken Soup
Chef Chai Chaowasaree
1 silkie chicken (about 2 pounds), whole or halved
3 thumb-sized pieces ginseng root
6-1/4 cups water
1 thumb-sized piece ginger, smashed
2 large heads garlic, halved
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
Salt or soy sauce to taste
5 dried figs
Sliced green onion for garnish
Cut chicken in half if necessary to fit pot; otherwise leave whole. Soak ginseng in water 1 hour.
Place ginseng and its soaking water in pot; add chicken, ginger, garlic, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil and skim impurities. Reduce heat to a very low simmer (no bubbling at all) and cook until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender, 2 to 4 hours. Or cook in a crock pot on low heat, about 6 hours. In last hour of cooking, add figs.
Strain soup and debone chicken if desired, or serve with root pieces. Garnish with green onion.
Nutritional information unavailable.
From http://starbulletin.com/2002/08/28/features/story1.html the Honolulu Star Bulletin