Cheng Tau, Hu Chi (Chicken Liver and Green Pea Soup)

Four Persons

3 chicken livers.

1 tin green peas.

1 tablespoon chopped mushrooms.

1 teaspoon ginger.

1 small tin bamboo shoots.

3 giblets.

1 tablespoon soya sauce.

1 piece of lean pork and a few bones.

Method: Make a strong stock by boiling any bones and a piece of lean pork. Chop up chicken livers, giblets, mushrooms, ginger, and bamboo shoots. Put in a deep pan, pour in stock through a strainer, strain peas and add, with soya sauce, pepper and salt, and bring to boil. Serve in soup-bowls.

Source: Azhar Ilias Abbas Recipes of the Orient Selected From Easily Obtainable Ingredients (Adelaide: Rigby, 1962), p.41.

Chinese Dinner

1 boiling fowl
1 lb lean pork
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup uncooked peas
1 small tin pineapple pieces
1 small tin mushrooms (button)
1 clove garlic
1 small tin bamboo shoots (or 1 cup celery cut in 2 in. strips lengthwise)
1 dsp soy sauce
1 dsp brandy
1 cup blanched almonds (fried and browned)

Method: Cook chicken and pork. Fry garlic in oil (or butter), add chicken, salt and pepper. Stir until light brown, add soy sauce and brandy. Add bamboo shoots (or celery), pineapple and mushrooms. Stir and cook for 3 mins. Pre-cook peas and carrots for 5 mins., then add peas and carrots plus 1 cup of stock. Put on lid and cook for 2 mins. Thicken with 1 tbls cornflour blended with a little soy sauce, add almonds. Serve with boiled rice and French salad. Cut a bunch of spring onions finely. Toss through rice whilst hot, just before serving.

Contributed by M. Catford in Booleroo Centre Primary School 1885-1985 Centenary Recipe Book (revised edition 1985 of 1970 edition), p.25.