Thousand-Year-Old-Eggs

The so-called "1000-year-old eggs" neither look nor taste as if they are 1,000 years old, though they are certainly eggs: duck eggs, to be specific. They are prepared by coating the raw eggs with potash and storing them in a large sealed crock for approximately six months, during which the yolk turns a dark blue-green and the white becomes dark brown and translucent.

The flavor can be compared to that of a ripe brie or camenbert and is for most an acquired taste. In some parts of China, they are eaten together with bland raw beancurd or pickled garlic, which is certainly a fair match.

Bon Bon Chicken

Ingredients:

1/2  Chicken
10   Small green bean sheets
1     Green bamboo shoot
1/2T Ginger
1/2T Garlic
1/2 t Brown peppercorn powder
1/2 t Salt
2T    Sesame seed paste
3T    Soysauce
1T    Brown Vinegar
1T    Sesame oil
1T    Hot red pepper oil
2t    Suger
1t    Brown peppercorn oil

Procedure:

1. Boil water in a large pot, add chicken and cook for 20 minutes. Take chicken out, let cool.

2. Slice the peeled green bamboo shoots or cucumber into small slices, soak with salt about 10 minutes, squeeze and lay on plate.

3. Cut bean sheets into 1/2" wide and soak in clod water a few minutes. Lay on top of #2.

4. Remove big chicken bones, then cut meat into pieces 1.5"long and thickness of pencil, place on top of bean sheets and sprinkle with peppercorn powder, ginger and garlic.

5. Mix the sesame seed paste with soysauce, then add sesame oil, vinegar, hot oil, and sugar in a small bowl, serve with chicken.