Famous Palace Blessing Five Combinations Recipe

Prepare chicken

Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. In a medium pot, bring 500 ml water to a simmer, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine. Blanch the chicken pieces for 3 minutes to remove impurities. Transfer to a plate and discard blanching liquid. This reduces cloudiness in the final sauce and helps flavor penetration.

Prepare pork belly

Cut pork belly into 2–3 cm cubes. In the same pot (boiling water), blanch the pork belly for 2–3 minutes, drain and rinse under warm water. This step removes excess surface fat and blood. Set aside.

Prepare shrimp

If using frozen shrimp, thaw completely, peel and devein. Lightly season with a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine and set aside refrigerated until needed. Do not cook yet (they will be added near the end).

Prepare fish and tofu

Cut fish into bite-size pieces and firm tofu into 2 cm cubes. Lightly dust fish pieces with a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Set fish and tofu on a tray chilled until ready to add.

Heat a deep, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon neutral oil. When shimmering, add sliced ginger, the white parts of the scallions, and minced garlic. Sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned.

Add the sliced soaked shiitake mushrooms and any soaked lily buds or wood ear mushrooms. Stir for another 1 minute to coat with aromatics.

Add the blanched chicken and pork belly to the pot. Stir briefly, then add 1 liter of chicken stock (or water), 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, rock sugar, and the dark soy sauce for color. Bring to a gentle simmer. Skim any foam or impurities from the surface for the first 5 minutes to keep the broth clear.

Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid slightly ajar, and braise gently for 25–30 minutes until the pork belly is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Check occasionally and maintain a gentle simmer; add a splash of water if the liquid reduces too quickly.

After the meat has braised, carefully remove the chicken and pork pieces onto a separate plate. Keep the braising liquid simmering and taste for seasoning. Adjust with remaining light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and salt as needed (start with small increments).

Bring the braising liquid to a gentle boil. Add the tofu cubes and simmer for 3–4 minutes so they absorb flavor.

Add the fish pieces to the pot and simmer 2–3 minutes until just cooked through (fish should be opaque and flake easily). Do not overcook.

Add the shrimp and cook for 1–2 minutes until shrimp turn pink and curl. Since shrimp cook quickly, add them last to avoid toughness.

Taste the combined mixture and adjust seasoning: add 1 teaspoon light soy sauce or salt if needed, and 1 teaspoon sugar if you prefer a slightly rounder flavor. Stir in 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

Stir the cornstarch slurry (2 tbs cornstarch + 30 ml cold water) to recombine, then gradually pour into the simmering broth while stirring constantly until sauce thickens to a glossy medium consistency that will coat the proteins (about 1–2 minutes). If too thick, thin with a few tablespoons of hot stock; if too thin, mix an extra 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch with cold water and add a little at a time.

Arrange lightly blanched bok choy or baby choy on a large serving platter. Place the chicken and pork belly pieces in the center, then spoon the tofu, fish and shrimp evenly around/over them. Ladle the hot, glossy sauce and mushrooms over the proteins to finish.

Garnish with reserved scallion green sections (cut into 4 cm lengths) and cilantro leaves. Serve immediately with steamed rice.