Camel Paw with Mushrooms

Unusual Ingredients

Camel Paw with Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1 camel paw, cleaned and soaked for one hour, whole or chopped into one-inch by four-inch pieces
1 boneless chicken breast, cut into eighths
10 shiitake mushrooms, soaked and cut in half
1 ounce Smithfield ham, slivered
1/4 cup Shaoxing wine
1 and 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 scallions, tied in knots
6 slices ginger root
1/4 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 whole shiitake mushroom, for garnishing (optional)
Preparation:
1. Put all of the ingredients into a wok or deep pot. Bring to just below the boil, reduce the heat, and simmer covered for two hours.
2. Remove from heat, remove ginger root, scallion knots, and peppercorns, and discard them. Then serve.
Note: One can thicken the sauce with three tablespoons cornstarch in the same amount of water or remove the solids and reduce the liquid somewhat; and also put the whole mushroom in the center just before serving.

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