Chicken Stewed with Mushrooms

Soak the mushrooms in warm water ahead of time. If you're in a hurry, you can use warm water with vinegar and baking soda to quickly soak them.

Rinse the mushrooms several times to remove sand and impurities; keep the rinsing water.

Do not blanch the chicken; soak it in water for two hours to let the blood drain.

Wash it thoroughly again.

Then drain off the excess water.

Prepare sections of green onion, slices of ginger, dried chili peppers, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns.

Heat oil in an iron pot.

Once the oil is hot, add the green onion, ginger, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns and sauté until fragrant, then add the chicken.

Sauté the chicken to remove moisture and fat until it is slightly yellow.

Pour in cooking wine or plain liquor around the edge of the pot, then add soy sauce.

Add dark soy sauce for color.

Stir well.

Add the mushrooms and pour in the soaked mushroom water.

If needed, add more hot water to just cover the chicken, cover the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 40 minutes.

Soak the vermicelli in hot water; choose types that are firm like sweet potato or potato starch, avoiding glass noodles and instant noodles to prevent clumping.

After 40 minutes, add an appropriate amount of salt, then add the vermicelli, cover, and cook for another ten minutes.

It's ready to serve.

The broth should be reduced a bit, giving it a thick and hearty feel synonymous with iron pot stews.

Sprinkle some chopped green onions or cilantro and dig in!