Collagen supper: Chicken wings, Winter cabbage soup, Oriental cucumber (Dinner 24 June) 

Having a chicken wing is an efficient way to consume high amount of collagen which is essential to maintain skin beauty. However, if it is just seasoned and grilled, it is very fatty. With this recipe, we can take collagen generously while minimising the amount of fat. This is one of my popular beauty recipes. 


By boiling it, we can remove out the fat while making the high amount of collagen melting in the stock. I call it "Beauty Stock".

"Beauty stock" from chicken wings

1. Wash the chicken wings with water and put them into a deep pan. Add cold water enough to cover the chicken wings (roughly 1.5 L), 1 tablespoonful sliced ginger, 2 cubes of garlic, green part of spring onion or 1/4 round onion (onion absorbs strong flavour of chicken) 
2. Allow the water gently boiling for 30 mins. Skim the fat and the scum appears on the surface as frequently as possible (such as 5-6 times)
3. Take out the chicken wings in a flat tray and let them cool down
4. Strain the stock with a net.

Collagen keeps the skin young, garlic and ginger warm up and energise our body!!
When I make Beauty Stock a lot, I put into a plastic container and keep it in freezer. 

Collagen soup with winter cabbage/Chinese cabbage (Beauty Stock, winter cabbage, salt, back pepper, sesame oil)

Winter cabbage is the best combination to enjoy the Beauty Stock. We can easily consume a lot of potions by shimmering it. I used 1/2 of whole winter cabbage and we easily finished all. 

1. Cut the winter cabbage into 6-7square cm.
2. Put them into a thick pan with a lid and add the Beauty Stock and heat it up to boil
3. Turn the heat into small, close the lid and simmer it for 10-15 mins till the cabbage got tender and translucent
4. Add 1 table spoonful of sesame oil, 1 teaspoonful black pepper, 2 tea spoonfuls of salt

Chicken wings (Salt, Soy-sauce, Mirin, Sesame oil)

1. Cool down the cooked chicken wings. Without cooling, the borne and meat will be parted when you fry
2. Heat up the large frying pan in the highest temperature  and put a table spoonful vegetable oil
3. Place chicken wings with the skin side down and allow them to fry till the skin became crispy and slightly brown (for 7-8 mins)
4. Power 1/2 teaspoonful salt throughly on the meat then add miring and soy-sauce tablespoonful each (Be careful for occasional spatting of deep-fry oil!)
5. Turn the heat off and add 2 teaspoonful sesame oil
6. Serve the chicken that the golden skin side is up. It is nice to prepare a finger bowl with warm water with a slice of lemon.

Oriental Cucumber (cucumber, spring onion, salt and pepper, fish sauce, dark vinegar, honey, diced almond) 

Instead for slicing it with knife, I tore it into pieces. It enhances the fresh flavour of cucumber. 

Dark vinegar popular in oriental country

1. Cut 2/3 of cucumber into a half lengthwise. Make two lines of 1/3 of with in each and tear them off in 3-4cm length.
2. Cut spring onion into 3 pieces lengthwise. Cut each piece into a half lengthwise. Slice each piece as thin as possible parallel to the fibre. 
3. Soak into a water and squeeze and drain with a paper towel
4. Heat up the small pan and toast diced almond in medium temperature
5. put cucumber and spring onion into a bowl, add sesame oil, fish sauce, dark vinegar (or cider vinegar), honey teaspoonful each and salt and pepper as well. 
6. Mix everything well and power the toasted almond on the top.

Chicken wing is a 'safe' menu to satisfy male appetite. Sesame oil and the caramelised soy-sauce and miring (sweetened sake) over them attains a rich flavour. In this recipe, the amount of fat can be reduced a lot while maximising the taste of chicken as well as the collagen taking. The melting texture of winter cabbage and the sharp hint of back pepper in the rich golden soup are truly enjoyable!! Cucumber settles the rich flavour. 


Total time for preparation: 1 hour
Total cost: 4 pounds (3.50 for 8 pieces of chicken wings (from Waitrose organic), 50p 1/2 winter cabbage)