According to this Hong Kong-born chef, you cannot have a festive meal without the meaty trinity of chicken, duck and pork. With Jinhua Yu Shu Ji (yuk lan gai in Cantonese, or Jade Flower Chicken), you nail down two of those ingredients.
The classic Cantonese dish comprises poached chicken arranged on a plate with Jinhua ham and vegetables. The dry-cured ham is named after the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang province, eastern China, where it is produced. It is often used in stews and soups and can be bought at Yue Hwa Chinese Products in Chinatown.
The dish is relatively simple to prepare, but the challenge is in ensuring that the pieces of deboned chicken, ham and mushrooms are of a similar length and size. It is best to eat all three items together as the ham can be very salty on its own.
The dish is not commonly found anymore, although some traditional Cantonese restaurants still serve it. It is not on the menu at Hua Ting, but chef Chung can cook it upon request. It is priced at $80 and needs to be ordered in advance.
He says in Mandarin: “With the Jinhua ham in the dish, you get more flavour and fragrance. The dish was common for weddings, but you would need many chefs to debone and plate the chicken for hundreds of guests. It’s easier to manage at home.”
