Steamed chicken with angelica root and red dates, with choi sum
Chicken marinated with dong quai, red dates and ginger and steamed until tender, with a gentle herbal aroma, served with blanched choi sum — nourishing for the blood without overheating.
- 40 min
- Serves 3
- Steam
- Easy
Why it suits you: Blood-stasis types have sluggish circulation, with a dull complexion, painful periods and stabbing aches, and as yang begins to draw inwards at Liqiu, keeping the blood moving matters more. Angelica root, long prized for the blood, nourishes and moves it; red dates nourish blood and the spleen; chicken warms and boosts qi. Steamed rather than fried, it nourishes without dryness.
Method
Prep 20 min · Cook 20 min- 1Rinse the chicken, pat dry and mix with the salt, soy sauce, wine and cornflour. Rinse and thinly slice the angelica root, halve the red dates and rinse the goji berries.
- 2Mix the angelica, red dates, goji berries and ginger into the chicken and leave for 15 minutes, then spread out in a shallow dish.
- 3Steam over a high heat for 18–20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through with no pink juices by the bone.
- 4Meanwhile, blanch the choi sum in boiling water with a little oil and salt. Serve with the chicken — the juices are delicious spooned over rice.
Cautions
- Angelica root moves blood, so avoid it during heavy periods, in pregnancy or if you take blood thinners; skip it while you have a cold or fever.
Chef's tips
- Angelica root is strongly flavoured — 10 g is plenty, and more turns the dish bitter; spread the chicken in a single layer so it steams evenly.
The TCM view
Angelica root is sweet, pungent and warm, nourishing and moving blood, regulating periods and easing pain — the Bencao Gangmu says it treats 'headaches and all pains of the chest and abdomen, and moistens the intestines, sinews and skin'. Red dates are sweet and warm, boosting qi and nourishing blood; chicken is sweet and warm, warming the middle; goji berries nourish the liver and kidneys; ginger warms the channels.
