Herbal Chicken & Prawn Soup

Nothing better than a nice bowl of herbal soup when feeling under the weather. My earliest foray into herbal medicine was probably learning the ingredients used to make soup. There's always a soup for any ailment for a Cantonese and I am happy to keep this tradition alive in the kitchen.

Today's concoction is uplifting, adaptogenic and boosts immunity. You can use any meat with this recipe but I simply cannot resist the taste of herbal prawns.

Ingredients (for 4-6 persons) :

1.5 litres water
500 grams chicken (or any meat with bone on)
10 medium to large prawns
5 grams Scented Solomon Seal (Yu Zhu)
5 grams Dang Shen
4 grams Panax Ginseng Root
4 grams Chinese Angelica (Dang Gui)
4 grams Wolfberry
A couple Red Dates
3 grams Chinese Licorice Root
Dash of cognac
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnishing

Method:

Clean and wash herbs and chicken. Scald chicken in boiling water for 5 seconds to remove grime and drain. Fill pot with 1.5 litres of water and bring to a boil. Put chicken and herbs in and simmer over low heat for 60 mins. While simmering, wash and trim sharp protrusions off the prawns. Put the prawns and cognac into the soup and cook for 3-5 mins depending on size of prawns. Turn off fire and add salt to taste. Serve hot in a bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.