Instructions: Place the whole chicken and the pork in a stockpot, and add cold water just to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat; skim off the impurities. Add the scallions, ginger and rice wine. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Remove the solid ingredients. Pull the cooked chicken breasts off the bones; discard all of the solids. Lightly mash the chicken breasts and reserve them. Strain the broth through dampened gauze or fine-mesh cheesecloth. Allow the broth (stock) to cool to room temperature.

To make the broth, add the mashed chicken breasts to the cooled broth. Place over high heat and stir steadily in one direction (clockwise or counter-clockwise, but do not change direction) until boiling. Lower the heat and let the broth boiling gently for 15 minutes.

Any remaining impurities in the broth will adhere to the chicken breast. Remove, and strain the broth again. Use immediately, or store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. It is useful to freeze any unused broth.

This recipe yields 12 cups.

Comments: In Guangdong (Kwangtung) province in the South of China, there is a saying that "Broth to a cook is voice to a singer."

As early as 1716, Li Yu, one of the best-known gourmets in Chinese literature, wrote: "As long as there is rice there should be soup. The relationship between soup and rice is like that between water and a boat. When a boat is stranded on a sandbank, only water can wash it back to the river, rice goes down much better with soup. I would go as far as to say that it would be better to go without all main dishes than to have no soup!"

Yield: 12 cups

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