GOLDEN FUNGUS WITH CHICKEN SOUP

Have you seen Golden Fungus or ate it before?   I happened to come across these dried golden fungus at the hypermarket the other while looking for dried stuff like black fungus, beans and mushrooms.  Out of curiosity, I bought some of these [25 gram].  A kilo cost about RM85.00.    I believe these can be used in soup, braised or stir fried dishes or sweet dessert.  The easiest and fastest, perhaps is to cook soup with it.

According to Wikipedia, this golden fungus is bland and flavourless and is edible. Although some have claimed the fungus to be inedible or merely "non-poisonous", most other sources agree that it is edible but flavourless. The gelatinous to rubbery consistency lends texture to soups.  In China, the fungus is used by vegetarians to prepare "an immunomodulating cooling soup with lotus seed, lily bulbs, red dates etc.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

15 gm golden fungus - soaked to plump up, drained

1 large chicken whole leg [skin and fats removed] - cut bite size pieces

6-7 red dates

3-4 pips garlic

800 ml water

Seasoning

1/2 tsp salt to taste

dash of chicken stock granules

dash of pepper

1. Soak golden fungus until soft and plump up, break into smaller pieces.
2. Blanch chicken pieces with hot boiling water, drained.
3. Bring water to boil in a soup pot or claypot.  Add in golden fungus, garlic and red dates.  Bring to boil for 5-10 minutes before adding the chicken pieces.  If using free range chicken, all ingredients can be added at the same time.
4. Once the soup boils, lower to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Taste to adjust seasoning.
6. Serve hot.