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A Salubrious Brew IN autumn and winter, restaurants in Hong Kong regularly serve up a plethora of snake dishes as snake meat is believed to be warming for the body. These include snake meat potage and deep-fried snake meatballs, and even deep-fried snake skins. Snake meat is also said to cure rheumatism and increase blood circulation, and is considered to be an aphrodisiac. While people nowadays tend to be squeamish at the thought of having a slithery reptile on the dining table, snake soups used to be a home favourite. This month, Hua Ting is serving braised snake soup with chrysanthemum petals ($18+++ per person). Chef Chan has been whipping up the dish for the last few years, mainly for regular patrons. I found it to be just as chef Chan said, sweet-tasting. I was half-expecting to see chunks of meat with skin and bones intact, but much to my relief, the brownish broth was not the least gory-looking. It was a thick soup with plenty of bamboo shoot, black fungus, chewy fish maw, mushrooms, and, yes, snake meat finely shredded. The latter melded so well with the rest of the ingredients that the unsuspecting diner wouldn’t have guessed its true identity. A soothing, warm gingery aroma permeated the soup. Dried orange peel was also used to give the soup a greater depth, as well as to counter the “heatiness” of snake meat. Before eating, toss in the accompanying shredded lime leaf, white chrysanthemum petals and Chinese celery leaves, for an added floral flavour. On how the stock is made, chef Chan revealed: “Boil the snake bones to extract its flavour. Traditionally water chestnut is also added to sweeten the stock.” The restaurant is also offering roasted duck ($24+++) for this month. The ducks are flown in from France and only young poultry are used. “Due to France’s cooler climate, the ducks are fatter and their flesh is also finer, not as coarse as local ducks,” explained chef Chan. After marination in a concoction of aromatic seasonings including garlic and star anise, the ducks are roasted over high heat for 10 minutes. The result is crispy skin on the outside and flesh that is still tender and succulent. The Streats photographer was awed at how aromatic the duck tasted and devoid of the gamey flavour usually associated with it. As there are limited number of ducks prepared each day, advance booking is recommended. Reservations are highly advised, given its strong popularity. Hua Ting is at Orchard Hotel, 442 Orchard Road. Tel: 6734-3880/6734-3872. OPENING HOURS: Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm; Dinner: 6.30pm to 10.30pm. UOB Dining Privileges* * Terms and conditions apply. |
“In
the old days, it was common for mothers to cook soup with snake
meat. Besides its healthful properties, it also makes the soup very
sweet,” said chef Chan Kwok (right) of Hua Ting restaurant. “You
don’t need to add a lot of seasoning and it will still taste very
good.”