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This may be a bit obscure, but when we lived in Asia we would often seek out Chinese herbal health soup shops, and I am now looking for something similar in the lower mainland. Typically these are small shops that serve only soups (usually clear broths) that contain herbs having various medicinal properties. The soups are usually baked in small serving-sized clay pots in a large oven for longer periods of time. Typically the menu will contain a list of the soups served - and the ailments for which they are intended. Do any of you know of such a shop in the lower mainland? Any leads would be appreciated.

Pan-Fried Pork Chop (香蔥豬排) This dish is very easy to make at home. The best is to marinate the pork chops overnight in the refrigerator. Cooking time is only about 15 minutes. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3 Preparations: Main ingredients: (From top, clockwise) - 5 pieces of pork chops, about 1 1/2 lb - 4 cloves of garlic - 3 to 4 shallots Peel and finely chop the garlic and shallots. (Not shown): Use a fork to jab on the pork chops to create tiny holes. It will help the marinade to be soaked into the meat. Marinate the pork chop in the mixing bowl with: - minced garlic (4 cloves) - minced shallots (3 to 4) - 1/4 tsp of salt (or to taste) - 1 tsp of ground black bepper - 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine - 2 tsp of light soy sauce - 1 tsp of sesame oil Mix well and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Cooking Instructions: Use a pan/wok, set stove at medium, add 3 to 4 tblsp of cooking oil. Lay the pork chop flat on the pan surface. Fry for about 4 to 5 minute. Peel and thinly slice another 2 to 3 shallots. Turn the pork chops. Add the thinly sliced shallots to the pan. At medium heat, fry the pork chops for another 4 minutes. If there is any watery liquid from the pork chop, drain it with a spoon. Turn the pork chop once again. Add 1 tblsp of cooking oil. Set the stove at high. Fry for another 3 minutes to brown the surface. Turn the pork chop one last time and fry for another 2 minutes or so. At the end, dash in 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine and 1 tsp of light soy sauce. Finished. Picture of the finished dish.

Steamed Egg Custard with Conpoy (瑤柱蒸金銀蛋) We talk about home style cookings in this series. Nothing can be easier and more homey than Steamed Egg Custard. This is a Cantonese dish that virtually known to every family living in Hong Kong and Canton vicinity. Yet you cannot find this dish offered in over 90% of the restaurants. Perhaps steamed eggs are considered "not restaurant worthy" because they are cheap? There are many variations on the filling to put in the steamed egg custard. I chose dried conpoy, dried shrimp, thousand year eggs and salty eggs this time. Some puts in marinated ground pork, or ground beef. I have seen pictures of steamed egg custard with fresh clams (with shells) from Golden Mountain Restaurant in San Francisco. You may put in whatever that fits your taste. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3 Preparations: Main ingredients: (From top left, clockwise) 7 regular, large-size chicken eggs, 2 salty duck eggs, 2 to 3 thousand year eggs, 1 handful of dried shrimp (about 3 to 4 tblsp), 5 to 6 dried conpoy, 2 green onions. The best is to soak the dried conpoy overnight. They do require a lengthy soaking time to soften. (Add the soaking liquid to the egg custard, as shown later.) Soak the dried shrimp for only about an hour before cooking. Use a big bowl, first break 7 eggs. Add to the bowl. Break 2 salty duck eggs. Seprate the egg white from egg yolk. Set the salty egg yolks aside. Add the salty egg white onto the bowl. Use an egg beater or a pair of chopsticks to whisk the eggs thoroughly. About 30 seconds. Carefully fold in some water to dilute the beaten eggs. I cannot tell you exactly how much water to use because it depends on the size of the eggs. Generally, use a 10:7 egg-to-water ratio by volume. The more diluted the egg custard is, the longer it takes to steam, and the softer the custard is. But don't make it too diluted where the custard will not solidify. There is a trick I learned from some fellow posters: if you want the egg custard to turn out smooth as silk, don't use tap water. Use boiled water instead because it doesn't contain air bubbles. When you steam egg custard diluted with boiled water, the custard would not form air bubbles inside. Gently mix the beaten eggs with water for about 30 seconds. Use a deep steaming dish. First, hand-tear the soaked dried conpoy into shreds. Spread evenly on the steaming dish. Sprinkle on top with a pinch of salt (suggest: 1/4 tsp or to taste). Gently fold in the egg custard mixture. Cut the 2 salty egg yolks previously set aside into 2 halves (or 4 quarters). Drop into the egg custard mixture. Spread them evenly. Shell the 2 thousand year eggs. Cut eggs into small, irregular wedges. Add the wedged thousand year eggs and soaked dried shrimp (drain the soaking water first) into the egg custard mixture. Try to spread them evenly. Also, trim ends and finely chop the 2 green onions. Cooking Instructions: Place the dish of egg custard mixture in a steamer. Steam for about 25 to 30 minutes. Again: the more diluted the mixture is, the longer it takes to steam. When cooked, sprinkle the finely chopped green onions on top. Drizzle about 2 tsp of sesame oil and 1 to 2 tsp of light soy sauce before serving. This is the picture of the finished dish.

If you had to pair wines with Chinese food what would you consider for the following menu? Deep Fried Crispy Bean Cake/Deep Fried Minced Shrimp Ball Stir Fried Prawm. Cuttlefish and Chicken in X.O. Sauce Assorted Dried Seafood with Shark Fin Soup Live Lobster and Crab in Black Bean Sauce Chef's Special Free Range Chicken Sweet and Sour Rock Cod Chef's Special Stuffed Duck (Boneless) Selected Vegetable Braised with Bai-Ling Mushroom Minced Beef and Green Onion Fried Rice

I was recently at a friends house who's mum is from Taiwan. She said when reheating dumplngs boil method not steam that her uncle would let the water come to a boil add the dump. then add a 1/4 cup of water return to boil, add 1/4 cup water return to boil, add 1/4 cup of water return to boil. What is the theory behind this have you ever heard of this technique?

I just posted my favorite spots in K.C. to get authentic Chinese food. I hope this excites you all and I hope you find it useful!! I review four restaurants: 1. Lucky Wok Chinese Restaurant (Overland Park) 2. Fortune Star (Overland Park) 3. New China King (Kansas City, Missouri) 4. Jen Jen's (Overland Park) And briefly mention two others for specialties: 1. Blue Koi (Westport) 2. Genghis Khan (Westport and Boardwalk Square) Gōng shee kwai luh!! The Ulterior Epicure.

A Gremolata reader is looking for Chinese Mustard (either powdered or already mixed). I have not been able to reconnoitre any of the China towns, and am lazily posting in the hope that that there's a TO eGulleter that knows where to find...

I just bought back a bunch of szechuan peppercorns fom china and was looking to cook w/ them. If I throw them in whole, they tend to make to dish feel "griity", kind of like dirt is in the dish. My wife doesn't care for it that way. Anyone have any suggestions for making them seem less "gritty"? -z

Does anyone have a recipe for making the sauce - Sha Cha Jiang? I've looked but haven't really found one. SeIs it similar to XO Sauce?

I had a gift certificate for Barnes and Noble. Naturally I made a bee-line for the Chinese cookbooks. Maybe I should have done it on line, as the store didn't have that much of a selection ---- and I already had most of the ones they had on the shelves. I by-passed the new Ken Hom 'easy' book and Yan's Chinatown. This last one wasn't separated into the Chinatowns -- just a lot of recipes. So I finally settled on this one by Leeann and Katie Chin as it seemed like solid home cooking without a fuss. A few pictures, but the book is mostly recipes. Any of you know this book? I haven't tried any yet. Actually, hzrt's recipes will come first. (been very busy lately, but hope it is soon behind me so I can come and read more) HeeHee -- I also bought a book on Food in History. Looks interesting, altho only part of it is China. And ---- I bought "101 Things To Do With Ramen Noodles".. Looks like a cheaters guide to faster than fast ramen meals. (Sorry about the spelling error in the sub- title. When I tried to edit, the title line wouldn't come up)

HALLO!!!! hey guys anybody have a recipe for the sesame balls??? they're the dessert kind with bean paste inside and rolled in sesame seeds, not sure if they're baked or fried...... but if you have a recipe for it, i'd love to have it. making it for CNY 2006, and im gonna do a test run, so no boo boos. please share if you do have one.

Recommend any authentic Chinese food in Orlando.

White Boiled Shrimp (白灼蝦) Can it be easier? Nothing can be easier than white boiling some shrimp to make a dish. The key to a delicious "white boiled shrimp" dish is to have fresh shrimp (with heads) and making a dip for the shrimp. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3 Preparations: Main ingredients: (From left to right) - 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 lb of medium to large size shrimp with head - 5 to 6 green onions - 1 to 2 chili pepper (e.g. jarapeno pepper, or red chili) Soak the shrimp in a mixing bowl with water for an hour or so. Rinse the shrimp and drain. Trim and shred the green onions diagonally. Trim and cut the chili peppers into thin slices. Cooking Instructions: Use a medium size pot. Half fill it with water. Boil the water. Use a small bowl. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the boiling water onto this bowl. Add 3 tsp of sugar to dissolve. Use another small bowl. Lay the shredded green onions in the bowl. Lay the chili slices on top. Add the shrimp on to the pot of boiling water. It will take about 3 to 5 minutes for it to boil again. Meanwhile, use a small pot or pan to heat up 3 tblsp of cooking oil to fuming hot. Very quickly, splash the fuming hot oil onto the bowl of shredded green onions/sliced chilies. Add about 8 tsp of light soy sauce. Add on the sugar/water mix. Mix well. This is the dip for the white boiled shrimp. Transfer to small bowls/dishes for serving. The shrimp is cooked when it completely turns orange/red (no more grey). Pour the pot content onto a strainer. Drain off the boiling water and transfer the shrimp to a plate/dish for serving. Finished. Picture of the finished dish and the diping sauce.

Jason Perlow recently started this thread in the Japan Forum. According to this webpage, tonkotsu soup is similiar to baitan (白湯). Can anyone tell us how to make baitan (paitan)?

I thought I might as well start the Yin/Yang ball rolling. Carrot Top posed this question on The Lychee Thread ^ Well...to answer this question, we have to look into: 1. The constitution of a person...whether he is more Yin or Yang 2. The effects/properties/flavor of the food 3. Yin and Yang Illnesses 4. How the Yin and the Yang is affected by the seasons People, feel free to expound on the above. I'll chip in later...er...I'm a bit busy at the moment. This is going to be interesting because Yin-Yang describes a relative state....a thing is never just Yin or Yang.

Stir-fried Conch with Brown Bean Sauce (豆醬炒海螺) From my experience, periwinkle is best stir-fried with brown bean sauce. Let me illustrate how to prepare this dish. This sauce is also good for other type of seafood or meats, such as chicken. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3 Preparations: Main ingredients: (From upper-right, clockwise) - Shelled periwinkle, about 1.5 to 2 lb total (Note: periwinkle shrinks quite a bit during the cooking process. You should budget at about 0.75 lb per person) - 3 to 4 stalks of green onions - 4 small shallots - 5 to 6 cloves of garlic - Ginger, about 2 to 3 inch in length - (Not shown in picture) 1 small chili pepper (e.g. jalapeno) Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Trim ends on the green onions and finely chop. Thinly cut about 8 slices of ginger. Grate the rest of the ginger. (Not shown in picture: trim ends and cut 1 chili pepper into thin slices) Cooking Instructions: Use a pan/wok, set stove at high. Add about 2 cups of water. Add the 8 ginger slices and periwinkle. Bring to a boil and boil for about 2 to 3 minutes. Drain the water with a strainer. Discard the ginger slices. (Note: boiling the shellfish with ginger would suppress the fishy taste inherent in most seafood.) Start with a clean wok/pan. Set stove at high. Add 2 tblsp of cooking oil. Wait until oil starts fuming. Add minced garlic, minced shallots, 2 tsp of chili bean sauce, sliced chili pepper, 2 to 3 tsp of brown bean sauce, 2 to 3 tsp of sweet flour paste. (Note: no need to add extra salt as these sauces are quite salty.) Stir well. Dash in 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth, 2 tsp of sugar. Bring to a boil. Add corn starch slurry (suggest: 2 tsp of corn starch mixed in 4 tsp of water) to thinken the sauce to the right consistency. Adjust quantity. Slowly fold in the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce. Return the periwinkle. Stir and toss for another 2 to 3 minutes. Make sure the sauce is evenly coated on the periwinkle. At the last moment, add the chopped green onion and stir to distribute it evenly. Transfer content to a serving plate. Drizzle about 2 tsp of sesame oil on top before serving. Picture of the finished dish.

I have been searching this duck recipe for quite a few years, but with no result, I only even came across this dish in 3 restaurants, all in Melbourne , it is flat and boneless crispy duck and with taro paste underneath (much like the 'Wok Guk' pastry and all cut up like you would with red bean pancake ) with a corn starch thickened duck flavour sauce, it is fatty, crispy, and I just can't have enough, now I want to make it myself. anyone know the dish I am talking about ? ( I believe in some places they refer taro as yam, )

Date night tonight, and I'm trying to swing a Dinner & Movie in and/or around Morris County. What's the verdict on the best chinese around here ? Mr. Chu on Route 10? I'd love to make the trek to China 46, but I'm not familiar with the area and would like to add a movie to tonight's itinerary. Thanks for your help!

If you can refer me to a previous thread, feel free. We live at 20th and South. A stranger in a beauty parlor recommended Jiojio's (sic?) Chinese. We tried it that very night and I am being generous if I call it "below average." Tonight we ordered from Manderin Palace. A very good curry soup was followed by fair dumplings and then nauseating other dishes, another failure. I remember one or two people recommending Square on Square (we couldn't find its number before I ordered), and we will try it next time. Anyone else?

Pork Neck Bone Soup with Lotus Root (蓮藕豬骨湯) Today is Chinese New Year. I would like to present a soup that is typical for the new year. Lotus roots and dried oysters are very common in dishes served around the new year. Lotus root symbolizes "continuous", while dried oyster symbolizes "prosperity". I wish everyone to have a prosperous year in the Year of the Dog. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 10 Preparations: Main ingredients: (From left, clockwise) - Lotus roots, about 3 to 4 lb - Pork neck bone, about 2 lb - 1 dried squid or dried octopus - 6 to 7 dried oysters - 5 dried conpoy (dried scallops) - 12 dried black mushrooms - A handful of raw peanuts (about 1/4 cup) - A handful of red beans (about 1/8 to 1/4 cup) - 3 pieces of dried tangerine peels (Chan Pei) - (Not shown in picture) About 20 dried jujube dates Use a mixing bowl, soak the red beans, dried tangerine peels and dried black mushrooms for at least 4 hours. (Drain before cooking.) Soak the dried squid/octopus. (Drain before cooking.) Use a small bowl, soak the dried conpoy (scallops) separately. (You can add the soaking liquid to the soup.) After the reconstituted black mushrooms turn soft, trim off the stems and cut into halves. Cut the reconstituted squid into a few big pieces. Trim and discard the connecting ends of the lotus roots. Cut into slices, about 3/4 inch thick. Cooking Instructions: The following is to illustrate the "double boiling" technique in Cantonese soup making. First, place the pork neck bones in a pot. Fill with just enough water to cover all bones. Set for a boil. Boil the pork neck bones for about 3 minutes. Use a strainer to drain off the hot water. Rinse the bones and cleanse off any suds. Clean the pot. Add about 15 cups of water (1/3 of this pot). Return the pork neck bones to the pot. Bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat to a simmer. Simmer the bones for 1 to 1 1/2 hour. Add the soaked red beans, reconstituted black mushrooms, squid, dried conpoy, dried oysters, dried tangerine peels, raw peanuts and dried jujube dates. Continue to simmer for another hour. This is what the soup looks like after 2 1/2 hour of simmering. Finally, add the lotus root slices. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Simmer for another 1 to 1.5 hour. This is what the soup looks like when it's ready. Add 1 to 2 tsp of salt (or to taste). Stir well. Scoop onto serving bowls. Picture of the finished soup.

Here's a few pics of the cake I made for a Chinese New Year's party. It's the first time I've done modelling; as it's year of the dog I made a few doggies. Dogs, kennels, lanterns and firecrackers made from modelling paste, 'grass' of royal icing mounted on a plaque. The cake itself turned out gargantuan. The bottom layer is chocolate (as per 'Finding the Best Chocolate Cake Recipe' thread, Epicurious tweaked version), middle layer is Amanda Hesser's mother-in-law's Almond Cake which I read about on Amateur Gourmet and top tier was a hazelnut cake. The chocolate cake was excellent, quite rich, the almond cake very nice too and a keeper. I made some whipped white chocolate/creme fraiche ganache which went between one layer, however second batch curdled on me, as did the white chocolate ganache which I had been planning on covering the outside. Originally, I was planning on hanging down the side some red fondant banners to look like traditional chinese new year banners (like the ones in this pic but when things started going pear shaped, I scraped that idea. So going to Plan B, I made some chocolate plastic which I'd never done before. What a waste of 300g of Lindt couverture! Oily melted chocolate everywhere, with the plastic of a peculiarly teeth-cementing texture. Never making that again. Frustrated, sweaty and tired with less than one hour till party time, I swore never to work with chocolate again, rushed to the shops and got some double cream, whipped it into espresso cream, which worked beautifully and tasted great. Perhaps someone could advise, given that whipped double cream tastes great, is easier to make than buttercream and stands up to being left at room temp for almost as long, I'd say, as buttercream, what are the advantages of using buttercream over whipped double cream? Despite my oath above on never to work with chocolate again, any tips on how to make (whipped) ganache without it curdling would be appreciated. When I made it the night before, left in fridge and whipped morning after, it worked. However, subsequent attempts without leaving overnight curdled. Or could it be that I was using creme fraiche, which seemed more watery than heavy cream? Wishing you all a healthy and prosperous Year of the Dog.

So, the Year of the Dog is approaching and my husband and I thought we would either go out to eat or make some traditional Chinese New Year's food at home. What would be some traditional dishes? If we go out to eat, can we expect to see some different menu items? If so, what sorts of things should we look for? Thanks!

Is it common to have the New Year's zodiac animal be a primary or featured ingredient in a New Year dinner? Certainly some exceptions would have to be made, e.g. dragon as it is mythical, dog as it is socially unacceptable and tiger as it is endangered.

Tomato Beef (番茄牛肉) Tomato Beef is a popular home-style Cantonese dish. It is also offered in many restaurants. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 3 to 4 Preparations: Main ingredients: (From upper-right, clockwise) - Beef (flank steak), about 1 lb - 5 large size chicken eggs - Ginger, use about 2 inch in length - 1 large onion - Garlic, use 5-6 cloves - 1 can (8 oz) of tomato sauce - 6 large size tomatoes (about 2 lb) - (Not shown in picture) cilantro, about a dozen prigs Cut the flank steak into thin slices. Cut across the grain. Transfer to a small mixing bowl. To marinate the beef: add 1 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp oyster sauce, 2 tsp ShaoHsing wine, 2 tsp corn starch, 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp of ground white pepper, 1/4 tsp of salt. Mix well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes before cooking. Trim the vines off the tomatoes. Cut into wedges. Peel and wedge the large onion. Peel and mince 5-6 cloves of garlic. Grate the ginger (use about 2 inch in length). Cut the cilantro at about 1-inch apart. Beat 5 chicken eggs in a small bowl. Cooking Instructions: Use a pan/wok, set stove at high. Add 3 tblsp of cooking oil. Cook and scramble the eggs first. Add a pinch of salt (suggest: 1/4 tsp) while cooking. Keep stirring to fold the egg while cooking. Remove from pan. Add 2 tblsp of cooking oil to pan. Wait until oil heats up. Add marinated beef slices. Cook for about 3 minutes under high heat. Do not overcook. Remove the beef from pan while it is still pink. Drain the pan. Add 2 tblsp of cooking oil to pan. Wait until oil heats up. Add minced garlic and grated ginger. Add 1/2 tsp of salt. Stir. Dash in 2 tsp of ShaoHsing cooking wine and 2 to 3 tsp of white vinegar. Add the wedged onion. Sautee for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth, wedged tomatoes and 1 can of tomato sauce. Add 3 to 4 tsp of sugar. Bring to a boil. Continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes until tomatoes turn soft. Add corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce (suggest: 2 to 3 tsp corn starch to 3 tsp of water) to the right consistency. Slowly fold the corn starch slurry onto the pan. Adjust. Return the beef slices, scrambled eggs and add chopped cilantro. You may also use Italian basil, Thai basil, green onion or other fresh herbs in place of cilantro. Continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir well. When ready, scoop to a shallow dish to serve. Picture of the finished dish.

Cantonese Roast Chicken with Nam Yu (南乳吊燒雞) This dish of Cantonese Roast Chicken with Nam Yu takes a little bit of work. But the succulent chicken meat with the dry, crispy chicken skin is well worth the efforts. Dedicated to BettyK. Picture of the finished dish: Serving Suggestion: 2 to 3 Preparations: Main ingredients: (From right, clockwise) - 2 small whole chickens, about 1 1/2 lb each - 2 cubes of red fermented bean curds (Nam Yu) - 2 tsp of five spice powder To prepare for the marinade: use a small bowl. Use 2 cubes of red fermented bean curds (nam yu). Add 1/2 tsp of salt, and 2 tsp of five spice powder. Use a small spoon to smash the red fermented bean curds and mix with the salt and five spice powder. Turn the mixture into a paste. Pat dry the outside of the chickens after cleaning. Roughly divide the paste into 4 portions. Marinate the chickens. Start with the cavity. Rub the paste inside the cavity. Then rub the paste on the outside of the chicken. Try to spread the marinade paste as even as you can. Let the marinade set for at least 1 hour. To make the skin dry and crispy, we need to pour boiling red vinegar onto the chicken skin. Here is how I did it at home. First: pour 1/2 bottle (about 1 1/2 cup) of the Chinese red vinegar in a small pot. Add about 1/4 cup of water to dilute it. (During pouring and continuous heating, the vinegar will inevitably become concentrated.) Bring to a boil. Set a frying pan on top of a second stove. Set stove at high. Use a pair of prongs to hold the chicken (need to rotate the chicken slightly when pouring the vinegar). Pour the boiling red vinegar onto the chicken. Keep rotating the prongs to make sure the chicken skin is evenly coated with the vinegar. Let the excess vinegar drip onto the frying pan. Collect all the excess red vinegar in the pan. Pour back onto the small pot. Set for a minute or 2 to let the vinegar boil again. Repeat the same pouring process until both chickens are coated with red vinegar evenly (about 2 to 3 times on each side of each chicken). Here is how the chicken looked after most of the red vinegar was used up. Find a place where you can hang up the chickens. Place a plate or dish underneath the chicken to catch the dripping fluid. I hung my chickens from a paper towel holder. It helps to keep the air circulating around the chicken. I set a small fan on low speed and blow the air to keep good circulation. (Do not blow directly on the chicken.) Let the chicken hung-dry for a minimum of 2 hours. To hang the chicken, I made some S-hooks just out of coat-hangers. Cut the wire to size and bend to the right shape. Not that elegant, but does the job well. (Thanks for the idea, jo-mel!) Cooking Instructions: Use a couple of skewers to hold up each chicken. Place inside the oven. Make sure that the chickens are hung in the air and not touching each other or touching a plate. Place a dripping pan filled with water at the bottom. The water will keep the chicken moist during the roasting process. Set the oven at 300F. Roast the chickens for 1 hour. Here is how the chickens looked after 1 hour of roasting in the oven. To make the basting liquid: Place about 2 tsp of malt sugar in a small mixing bowl. Malt sugar is very sticky and hard at room temperature. Once heated up it turns softer and is much easier to handle. Add about 2 to 3 tsp of water. Place in a microwave and heat it up for about 30 seconds at high. Use a small spoon to help dissolving the malt sugar in hot water. Add about 1 tsp of dark soy sauce. Stir well to create the basting liquid. Take the chickens out of the oven and baste with a brush. Make sure to baste evenly over the chicken skin. Return the chickens in the oven. Turn up the heat slightly to 325F or 350F to roast for another 30 minutes. (Note: if you roast a chicken of a bigger size, adjust the roasting time a bit longer.) Preparing The Condiments: I prepared 2 condiments for this dish. One is a raw garlic and oil mix. The other is smashed red fermented bean curds. I like both condiments equally. The first condiment: peel and trim about 10 cloves of garlic. Use a blender: add the 10 garlic, add 3 tsp of cooking oil (I used canola oil) and 1/4 tsp of salt. To cut down on the sharpness of raw garlic, I would also add 1 tsp of sugar. Puree the garlic, blend for about 1 minute to 90 seconds. Here is how the garlic puree condiment looked. Transfer to a small dish before serving. To make the second condiment: Add 2 cubes of red fermented bean curds in a small bowl. Be sure to use some of the preserving liquid from the jar. Add 1.5 tsp of sugar and 1 tsp of dark soy sauce. Optionally, you may add 1 tsp of five spice powder also. Use a small spoon to smash the red fermented bean curds and mix with the liquid and sugar. Transfer to a small dish before serving. Both chickens are ready, served with the 2 condiments. Chop up the chickens with a sharp cleaver before serving. Picture of the finished dish.