My Recipe: Ginger and Garlic Steamed Chicken Wings

Lately, I always experience terrible mood swings, muscle cramps and bloating during period. And since entering my 30s ... it became heavier. These past few months though, since I have better sleeps and rest ... the flows are lesser but still heavy. 

My late maternal grandmother used to advise the ladies in the house that ladies must also adhere to some strict confinement routines during period. Example ... no ice water, bath in warm water or cannot wash your hair. I am not very sure how and why such rules existed. In fact, I felt the confinement practice after giving birth in most Asian cultures doesn't have much medical evident to say that Asian women fare better than their Western counterpart in their older age. Especially in the era when work and life stress reign supreme and make your body go haywire anyway. The way I see it ... it is the best excuse for the ladies to recover ... physically, mentally and emotionally from childbirth without interference from their hubby, and of course giving full attention to the "new" love of their life. 

Anyway ... Period is not a wonderful time for me emotionally so I need something comforting, spicy, yummy and soothing for lunch today. One of my favourites is ginger and garlic steamed chicken wings. You can used other chicken parts if you like but my favourite is always the wings. To me it is the most versatile and yummy chicken parts. Though back home, most of my lady friends don't like to buy wings for fear of growth hormones.

Miuchu (left) and Shaoxing wine (right)

Ginger is expensive in Australia but a woman got to do what a woman got to do.

I usually used lots of garlics and ginger for this recipe. Sometimes I will also add in Shaoxing Wine or Benedictine D.O.M at the end to enhance the peppery and gingery flavour. My housemate use Chinese cooking wine called miuchu, which is actually like sweet sherry in his version of this recipe. 

Ingredients

8 chicken wings (cut to two parts)

10 cloves of garlic (crushed)

2 inch ginger (preferably crushed, but can cut to smaller pieces)

fresh crush peppercorn

pinch of sea salt

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

3 tablespoons of Shao Xin Cooking Wine

Preparation

1. Mix the crushed garlic, ginger, peppercorn, seasalt, sesame and chicken wing pieces in a bowl.

2. Marinate for 10 minutes.

3. Arrange the chicken wings in the baking tray or caseroles and put it in the steamer.

4. Steam for 30 minutes.

5. Take the tray out from the steamer and pour in the Shao Xin wine all over the chicken.

6. Ready to serve. (You may garnish with coriander leave if you like)

I love slurpping the chicken soup, juice or gravy that was produced during the steaming so I will usually ensure that it is well flavoured with salt and pepper during the preparation. However, sometimes I put in less salt and enjoy it later with cencalok dipping or cut fresh chillies with sweet soy sauce and lime.

Personally, I think eating food cooked with lots of ginger and garlic is good to calm and warm the body.  After a hectic day at work, this dish is something i will look forward to for dinner. It is simple, healthy and easy to prepare.

Do give it a try.

Love From Down Under,

MJ