Pen Cai

Pen Cai ( 盆菜 ) is a traditional Cantonese dish for CNY. I simplified my version to easy to cook and less oily one. The version below is meant for 4 to 5 pax. 

Ingredients:

Stock:

Chicken drumstick ( remove skin )

Dry scallops x 2 

Small whole abalone x 2

Mushroom

Pen Cai:

Radish 

White cabbage ( wongbok )

Dry scallop x 5

Roast meat

Scallop

Fish

Small whole abalone

( actually you can add whatever you wish to add as this is not a traditional style of pen cai )

Method:

Stock:

Wash mushroom and dry scallop clean and soak in warm water for them to soften. 

Boil the chicken drum in water with the abalone. 

Add mushroom and dry scallop with the water to the boiling chicken stock and boil till the drum is soft till the meat can be torn off easily. This will take around 5 to 6 hours. Remember to add water bit by bit till the stock turns light brown in color. Keep the mushroom to add on to the pot later. 

Cook the raw ingredients in boiling water. Do not overlook them. Just barely cook will do as the pot will be braised before serving. 

Cut roast meat into pieces and air fry till crispy. The more crispy it is, the nicer it will turn out. 

Lay the pot ( I use Cornell pot ) with radish as the base follow by white cabbage. 

Follow by meat than seafood stuff except the abalone. Do not forget the mushroom too. 

Bring the pot to simmer for at least half an hour covering the pot.

Turn off the heat and add in the abalone. 

The pot is ready in 5 minutes.