White Cabbage and Chicken Soup
White Cabbage and Chicken Soup
This is the classic chicken rice soup that is served whenever I order hainanese chicken rice. It is a very simple soup packed with flavour and it goes very well with chicken rice.
I am not making chicken rice tonight, just making the soup.
I am using Cameron highlands cabbage to flavour the soup as they taste better than those other types from China. It’s a preference thing. You can agree to disagree. I realized this when I was doing my usual marketing routine at the wet market (it seems only the wet market sells these types) and the uncle said “these are from Cameron Highlands..” and that was all that he would say before getting flustered with my questions.
I also realized wet market vegetable stall uncles and aunties tend to have very little friends. Oddly enough, it is supposed to be one of the best PR jobs in the world as you are serving customers everyday, day in day out. I guess it also depends on their MBTI profile. Some people get energized through interactions with people. Others become emotionally drained the moment they have to say “hello..”
But I cant blame them really. It’s not a profession that many would opt to do if they had a choice. I am sure most would have preferred a cushy nylon polyester swivel chair to twirl their day away.
If I had to spend a large part of my day talking to vegetables and haggle with uncles and aunties who are out to get a good deal – I would too become emotionally wretched. I guess some people are wired that way.
So newspaper wrapped cabbage good; unwrapped cabbage good for someone else.
For the chicken parts, I am using chicken wings as it is very easy to eat. Also there is more fats in the wing portion and would also add to the flavour for the soup. No need too many, just 5 small chicken wings would be suffice.
Recipe
Ingredients
5 Chicken Wings (they are usually offered in two sizes, big or small.. I usually take the small ones)
1 whole Cameron Highlands White Cabbage (this type is usually sold at wet markets and the vegetable seller will wrap them up in newspapers..)
See Salt – 1 tsp for 1.8 litres of water
Method
1. Boil a kettle of water (around 1.8 litres). Cut the cabbage into small bite size pieces. Place the prepared cabbage together with the frozen chicken wings in the pot, add sea salt and add the boiling hot water. Turn on high heat for 15 minutes with lid closed.
2. Place in thermal cooker and allow the magic to happen. Come back 12 hours later and boil again for dinner. Serve with spring onions garnishing if you like.
Bon Appetit!
Cameron Highlands White Cabbage