Rainy Day Chicken

Or perhaps, Family Dinner Chicken.
Since this is meant to be a place for the sharing of thoughts and experiences of an undemanding, rainy-day (read: comforting) nature, it is only fitting that the first recipe, piece of food-art, and kitchen-based creative moment be of such a nature too.

Rainy Day Chicken is a simple, unpretentious steamed chicken dish without a patent. Chinese households Singapore-over- and probably Asia-over too- have their own version of this versatile dish, which they vary according to whim, fancy, but perhaps just habit and convenience. Dried mushrooms, garlic, ginger and sesame oil are ubiquitous occupants of the Asian store-cupboard, while chilli and coriander are present in the fridge (or kitchen garden!) of every good Asian cook.

Yes, convenient. There are those who claim that convenient love is not really love at all, but then again, isn't it also true that those who love genuinely must love to the extent of accepting those who love them conveniently? How can human beings bear to tippy-toe about each other all the time, afraid to offend and hurt all the time? That would demand so much, require so much presence of mind- too much for human beings, who are always in a process of learning to love.

Give-and-take is what our elders advise us- and that means forgiveness and acceptance. So, tonight, I forgave myself the absence of Chinese Shaoxing wine in the kitchen store-cupboard, and the fact that the Chicken was not deboned, the way I would have prefered it. On another night, I might find Kaffir lime leaves in the fridge, or spring onions. Those would be good too, a Rainy Day Chicken with a Thai touch. Rainy Day Chicken will still prove homely, nourishing, and comforting.



Rainy Day Chicken

Ingredients:
2 Chicken legs
3 Dried Chinese Mushrooms
3 cm Ginger, cut into fine strips
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 Chilli, sliced on the diagonal
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Some chopped Coriander, for garnish

Chop each chicken leg into its drumstick and thigh parts. Rub ginger, garlic, salt and sesame oil all over the chicken thoroughly, stuffing some ginger and garlic under the skin. Lay the chicken pieces on a dish and throw the chilli and Chinese mushrooms over. Place the dish on a steaming rack in a large steaming pan (or a wok, or a steamer), after the water in the pan has come to a bubbly boil. Steam the chicken pieces for 20 minutes, throwing in the coriander no more than 5 minutes before the end of the steaming time.

Enjoy, with loved ones. (Preferably with the TV off!)