Chicken With Black Mushroom Soup

Preparation

1. Step 1

   In a bowl, cover mushrooms with water and soak for 20 minutes.

2. Step 2

   Using a heavy knife, cut the chicken through the bones into 12 to 14 serving-size pieces. Place the chicken in a pot with water to cover.

3. Step 3

   Heat until boiling, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain into a colander and run under cold water.

4. Step 4

   Remove mushrooms from water, discard stems, and cut large caps into halves.

5. Step 5

   Combine the chicken, mushrooms, boiling water, rice wine, ginger and salt in a heavy pot that will fit inside a bigger pot.

6. Step 6

   Put several inches of water in the bigger pot, and boil. In the bottom of the bigger pot, place a rack, and put the pot holding the chicken on it.

7. Step 7

   Cover both the pot with the soup and the bigger pot and cook over medium heat for one and a half hours. Replenish the bigger pot with more boiling water as it runs low.

8. Step 8

   When the soup is cooked, skim the fat, remove ginger, and add salt to taste.