Pig foot ginger

My granddad always tells me off for not maintaining Chinese rituals in my daily life，the most common one being that I should have drunk more red wine while my wife Nathalie was pregnant，as apparently my preference for white wine was the reason that I have a（beautiful）daughter and not his preferred son.So this dish is my way of sharing an ancient recipe with all the other Chinese living outside their homeland today who sometimes experience a lapse in remembering their culture.This recipe is traditionally cooked for women who have just given birth.It contains a copious amount of vinegar and ginger，which，when boiled，completely fills the room with their corresponding aromas.It is these that are said to kill off bacteria as well as evil spirits in the home，thereby protecting both the newly born and the mother.I am not sure why I enjoy this recipe so much，but the sweet，pickled eggs and pigs’trotters are strangely moreish.This is one dish that I have always wanted to put on the restaurant menu but have yet to find a way of presenting it without scaring off the guests with the sight of whole trotters floating in candied vinegar.

Serves 3

INGREDIENTS

4-5 tablespoons vegetable oil

1.1kg（no，this is not a typographical error！）fresh root ginger，peeled，cut into chunks and flattened with the side of a large knife

3 litres sweetened black vinegar

300ml Chinese red vinegar

3 pigs’trotters，cut in half and then into 5cm sections（get your butcher to do this for you）

3 eggs，boiled for 10 minutes，cooled in iced water and then peeled

1.Heat the oil in a wok and fry the ginger until toasted.Set aside.

2.To prepare the poaching liquor，bring the vinegars to the boil in a large non-reactive pan with a lid，add all the ginger except 1 piece and simmer with the lid on for 1 hour.

3.Meanwhile，fill a separate large pan with water，add the reserved piece of ginger and bring the water to the boil.Add the pigs’trotter pieces and blanch for 5-10 minutes，then drain and rinse well under cold running water.

4.Add the pigs’trotter pieces to the poaching liquor and braise over a low heat for 2-3 hours-the trotters are soft to the touch when ready.Leave to cool completely in the pan.

5.Decant 750ml of the poaching liquid into a separate pan，add the peeled eggs and simmer for 1 hour.Leave to cool completely in the liquor.

6.You can now bring the trotters back to the boil and then add the eggs before serving.

CHEF’S TIP

Because of its acidity and sweetness，this dish will preserve itself for up to 1 month.However，you will need to reboil the mixture for 10 minutes every week that you keep it，then cool it and store it in a sterilized airtight container in the refrigerator.

hancheng

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