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Maqaw chicken soup
Mountain pepper chicken soup
Maqaw (馬告雞湯): Atayal chicken soup scented with lemony mountain pepper
High in the mountains of northern Taiwan, in Atayal villages around Wulai and Fuxing, maqaw berries are picked from the mountain litsea tree in summer and dried to flavour soups, grilled meat and tea. In this clear chicken soup, served at home suppers and in Indigenous restaurants with millet or rice and wild greens, the crushed berries give a fresh lemongrass-and-ginger perfume with a gentle peppery tingle. Bone-in chicken simmered slowly makes a light, golden broth. People spoil it by adding the maqaw at the start and boiling it for an hour, which turns it bitter; add it for the last 15 minutes instead. If you can't find maqaw, use black peppercorns, a stalk of lemongrass and a strip of lemon zest. Chef's tip: lightly crush the berries just before they go in; whole ones barely flavour the broth, while powder makes it cloudy.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken piecesthighs and drumsticks, chopped into large pieces
- 7 ½ cups water
- 1 oz fresh gingersliced
- 1 tbsp dried maqaw berrieslightly crushed; or 1 tsp black peppercorns plus 1 lemongrass stalk and a strip of lemon zest
- 1 ½ tsp saltto taste
To serve
- 5 ½ oz leafy greens such as bok choy or chayote shoots (optional)cut into short lengths
- 1 spring onion (optional)finely sliced
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb bone-in chicken pieces in a pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 3 minutes, until grey foam rises, then drain and rinse the pieces and the pot.
8 minStep 2: Return the chicken to the clean pot with 7 ½ cups water and 1 oz fresh ginger. Bring to the boil, then turn down to a gentle simmer and skim off any foam.
5 minStep 3: Simmer, partly covered, until the chicken is tender and the broth is golden.
30 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tbsp dried maqaw berries and simmer for 15 minutes more, until the broth smells clearly of lemon and pepper. Don't boil it hard.
15 minStep 5: Check the thickest piece of chicken: it should read 165°F next to the bone, with clear juices.
Step 6: Season with 1 ½ tsp salt. Add 5 ½ oz leafy greens such as bok choy or chayote shoots, if using, and simmer for 2 minutes, until just wilted.
2 minStep 7: Take the soup off the heat and leave it for 5 minutes, so the maqaw settles to the bottom of the pot.
5 minStep 8: Ladle into bowls, leaving the spent berries behind, scatter over 1 spring onion and serve with rice or steamed millet.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 3 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does maqaw chicken soup take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of fresh ginger?
- ¼ tsp ground ginger per tbsp fresh (add it with the spices).
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