Steamed squab with red dates and shiitake
Chopped squab steamed with shiitake, red dates and ginger until tender and juicy — far quicker than a double-boiled soup, but just as nourishing for qi and blood.
- 35 min
- Serves 2
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: Qi-deficient people tire easily, get breathless and speak weakly, and as Hanlu's mornings and evenings cool they feel the cold and catch colds more readily. Cantonese say 'one pigeon is worth nine chickens': squab builds qi and blood and is easy to digest, red dates tonify the middle and shiitake strengthens the spleen. Steaming instead of slow-boiling keeps it tender and quick for a weeknight.
Method
Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min- 1Soak the shiitake until soft and halve them, keeping a little of the soaking water. Stone and halve the red dates.
- 2Rinse the squab pieces and pat dry, then mix with the soy sauce, wine, sugar, cornflour and oil. Add the shiitake, red dates and ginger and leave for 15 minutes.
- 3Spread the squab on a plate, spoon over 1 tbsp of the mushroom water and steam over boiling water on a high heat for 15–18 minutes until cooked through.
- 4Scatter over the goji berries and steam for 1 minute more, then turn off the heat and scatter with chopped spring onion. Blanch the lettuce and serve alongside.
Cautions
- Skip it while you have a cold, fever or upset stomach; make sure the squab is cooked through with no pink juices by the bone.
Chef's tips
- Poultry stalls and frozen-meat shops sell squab and will chop it for you; a splash of mushroom soaking water in the marinade makes it more fragrant.
The TCM view
Pigeon is sweet, salty and neutral, entering the liver and kidneys, tonifying them and building qi and blood — hence the folk saying 'one pigeon is worth nine chickens'. Shiitake is sweet and neutral, boosting qi and strengthening the spleen; red dates are sweet and warm, tonifying the middle and nourishing blood; goji berries nourish the liver and kidneys; ginger warms and settles the stomach.
