客家蒸鹽雞 ( 賀年菜式 ) Steamed Salted Chicken ( Chinese New Year Food )

過年過節之前，相信都是主婦們最忙碌的時間；因為我們都想為家人親友準備好各式各樣的應節美食。

In Chinese tradition, the run up to the New Year or any festival is always a very busy time for us housewives or people who enjoy hosting for family and friends, because of the amount of food we have to get ready!

在我們家，因為生活在外國，想買甚麼都要駕車出門；但卻很少會買到真材實料、健康好吃的傳統食品。於是很多過節食物都是我和孩子們自少在家一起做的。

Even after living in the UK all these years, where Chinese New Year is a much less prominent festival,  I've still managed to keep up with the tradition and have been making most of our New Year and festival food with my children ever since they were very little.

現在大了，兩兄妹離家在外生活工作，對那些伴著他們成長的家庭節慶點心和菜式，都仍然非常懷念！

下週末他們回家過年，電話中兩人已分別說好要吃這吃那；到時女兒的男友和兒子的一位朋友也會同行。我早已著手計劃要蒸甚麼糕點和弄甚麼年菜，還要預多些讓他們帶回去呢。

Now they've grown up and live away from home, they miss and remember all those family celebration food that they grew up with fondly.

They are coming home to have our New Year family dinner with us next weekend, and already they've been asking what I'm preparing for this year's feast. I've got a long list of what New Year cakes to make and what dishes to cook.

但更重要的一點，就是在當天我不想把全部時間花在灶旁爐邊！我想用輕鬆的心情做菜，到時才可以騰出更多精神時間和家人吃喝、談天說地。

這是我暫定的團年飯菜單：

1. 蓮藕粉葛排骨湯
2. 慈菇燜豬肉
3. 廣式燒鴨
4. 客家蒸鹽雞
5. 薑葱蒸鱼
6. 白灼大蝦
7. 蠔油冬菇燴白菜
8. 蒜蓉芥蘭

Most importantly, I want to be able to relax and enjoy the cooking, and not spend most of the time in the kitchen on the day, missing out on the chatter and sharing all the fun and laughter with my family.

This is the menu I set for our meal：

1. Lotus root, Kudzu root with pork rib soup
2. Stewed Arrowhead and pork
3. Cantonese style roast duck
4. Steamed salted chicken
5. Steamed fish
6. Blanched king prawns with ginger and spring onions sauce dipping
7. Braised mushroom in oyster sauce with Pak Choy
8. Stir - fried vegetables with minced garlic

之前一天可以把豬肉先燜好、鴨處理和醃妥、雞也用醃料擦勻、大蝦用尖利剪刀在殼背剪開挑出腸物、蘸大蝦用的薑葱油醬也用攪拌器打起一飯碗份量蓋著備用、冬菇洗淨泡軟瀝乾等等；一切準備就緒，第二天下厨便容易得多了。

今天我便要為大家介紹這款我老公最心愛他的家鄉菜之一的「客家蒸鹽雞」，吃過的朋友，相信已回味不已，如果未吃過的話，我想你必定會喜歡的，我要鄭重向你推薦！

The day before, I can stew the pork, marinate both the duck and the chicken, use a pair of sharp scissors to cut open the back of the king prawn shells to remove the veins ready to be blanched, put ginger and spring onions in blender to get the dipping sauce ready, wash and soak the dried mushrooms and so on; all these can be prepared in advance, so it'll be a lot easier the next day.

Today I want to show you how to make this - one of my husband's favourite dishes from his home village, ' Hakka Steamed Salted Chicken'. If you've tried this before, I'm sure you would have loved to have it again, and if you've never tried it before, I strongly recommend it to you, I'm quite sure you'll love it!

客家蒸鹽雞 

材料：

• 自由放養的玉米飼養雞 1 隻約 1.4 kg ( 3 lb 左右 )
• 鹽 1 湯匙
• 沙薑粉 1 湯匙
• 紹興酒 1 湯匙
• 麻油 2 茶匙
• 生薑 4 片
• 青葱 2 株切段

調味料：

• 蒜 2 粒剝蓉
• 米醋 2  湯匙
• 沙糖 2  湯匙
• 生 抽 ( 醬油 ) 2 湯匙
• 麻油 2 湯匙
• 第戎芥末 Dijon mustard 1 湯匙
• 蒸雞汁 10 湯匙
• 油 1 湯匙

烘香的白芝麻和葱花作裝飾

做法：

1.  把鹽 、沙薑粉、酒和麻油在碗中拌勻，然後用來塗遍雞的內外全身；跟著把薑片和葱段放      進雞的內腔去，醃 30 分鐘或以上，過夜也可以。

2.  蒸籠注水，燒沸後把雞連碟放進去，蓋著用大火蒸 30 分鐘剛熟便成 ( 用筷子剌進腿的最厚部分探測 )。

3.  待涼後把雞斬件上桌，便是一碟「客家蒸鹽雞」。這樣蒸出來的雞非常入味，又嫩滑甘香；就把雞塊夾起來送進口中已非常好吃。

4. 也可以用炒香的淮鹽拌以同份量的沙薑粉，用滾油和勻成沙薑醬，盛在小碟上作蘸醬伴食 。

5.  我們還喜歡淋上了香蒜芥末汁的吃法。鍋燒紅、下油 1 湯匙，然後用中火爆香蒜蓉後加入上列調味料，煮滾後轉小火煮稠。

6.  將汁淋在雞件上，隨意灑上芝麻葱花上桌。沾著充滿汁香的鹹雞，那包裹在多層美味的口感，為這道家鄉菜添上不同的新滋味。

這道傳統的客家蒸鹽雞，配上這個香滑美味的蒜香芥末汁；吃後有無比的欣賞滿足！做法又簡單容易，新春期間，請盡量抽空試做嚐嚐!!