Winter Melon Soup (冬瓜汤)

Been cooking all sort of slow-cook soups with kampung chicken recently. This time I dropped in a few dried scallops to enhance the sweetness of the soup. The soup was "sweet" and had refreshing flavour from the sea, it was so good that the only seasoning I needed was salt.

I do not have a slow-cooker so I always cook my soup using claypot and cook on the gas stove for few hours. Yes, few hours with the low flame. After using the same claypot for more than six months, it has already seasoned by many type of aromatic ingredients and herbs. Some people say that seasoned claypot cooks better soup.

Ingredients (3-4 servings):

• 250gm kampung chicken (free range chicken)
• 500gm winter melon, peeled and cubed
• 2-3 scallops
• 2-3 red dates (optional)
• 1 tsbp wolf berries (optional)
• 1 litre water (hot water if using slow-cooker)
• Salt to taste
• Ground black pepper (optional)

Directions:

• Slow-Cooker: Place all ingredients except salt in the slow-cooker and fill in hot water. Let it simmer for few hours. Add salt to taste just before serving.
• Gas Stove: Bring water to boil, put in all ingredients and turn the flame to the lowest. Let it simmer for at least 2 hours, you may need to add extra water. Add salt to taste.