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Monday, May 21, 2012

Recipe:Snow Fungus, Longan & Ginkgo Tisanes


Ingredients
(serves 6 to 8)
- 40 grams snow fungus (also known as white jelly fungus, silver ear, white wood ear, 雪儿)
- 2 litres water
- 5 pandan leaves, tied to a knot
- 50g dried longan (龙眼干)
- 120g rock sugar (冰糖) (adjust to taste)
- 100g (about 30) ginkgo (gingko) nuts (白果) (either canned or vacuum-packed type)
- 20 pitted red dates (红枣)

Directions
1. Soak white fungus in a bowl of hot water (covered) for about half an hour, then carefully discard water. The white fungus should be puffed up and turn a whiter shade. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, trim and discard the dark yellow hard part on the centre underside of the fungus. Cut the rest of the fungus to smaller pieces and reserve for step 2.
2. In a soup pot, add water, cut fungus pieces, pandan leaves, longan and red dates. Bring to a boil and then simmer (with lid partially closed) for 20 minutes. Add gingko nuts and continue simmering for 10 minutes.
3. Add rock sugar to taste and off the flame when the sugar is fully dissolved. Discard pandan leaves. Serve warm or chilled.

Cooking Tips
1. Look out for good quality white fungus recognizable by its whole fungus shape – better ones are cleaner and more fragrant.
2. If you are using raw gingko nuts, gently crack open the shells with a mortar and pestle, insert a toothpick to flick out the dirt in the centre of the nut which is bitter tasting. You will need to increase the simmering time in step 2 (at least 1 hour instead of half an hour or until the nuts are soft). Add the white fungus at the last 30 minutes of simmering.
3. You can substitute gingko nuts with lotus nuts, or use a combination of both.
4. Instead of dried longans, you can substitute with fresh or canned longans which you add to the dessert when serving (no need to simmer).


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