Ginger Vinegar Trotter

All the mothers out there, when you look at this dish does it brings back some of your wonderful memories and dishes that you craved for during your “Confinement - 坐月” days? I am sure most of us have tried this traditional confinement dish that is good for expelling the wind and at the same time the calcium found in the trotter and the heat from the ginger helps to revitalize and replenish nutrients in the mother’s body.

The two key ingredients are matured (old) ginger and black vinegar. Matured ginger is used because it imparts a stronger and more intense flavour for the dish. The old folks believed that Black Vinegar purifies blood and cleanses the arteries of stale blood while Old ginger drives out the wind in the body. In order to prevent the vinegar being too acidic & therefore weakening the stomach, the glutinous ligaments and collagen of the pig's trotters are to serve as a lubricant.

Ingredients: (serves 2 -3)
1 Pig's Trotter, ask for the front trotter
2 Big Piece Of Old Ginger, about 500g
1 Small Bottle Of Black Rice Vinegar, 375ml
1 1/2 Bottle Of Water, use the same vinegar bottle
1 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
50g Rock Sugar/Brown Sugar
4 Hard Boiled Eggs

Method:
1. Scrap, wash and cut the old ginger into big pieces then flatten slightly.
2. Heat up sesame oil in a large claypot to saute old ginger till fragrant.
3. Pour in vinegar and water, covered and bring to a boil. Reduce to low heat, cook for about 45 minutes to an hour, remove from heat and leave it to stand over night.(alternatively you can transfer the boil mixture to a slow cooker and cooker for AUTO for about 3 hours then switch off and let it stand over night)
4. Rinse the pig's trotter pieces, wash and blanch into boiling water.
5. Add 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, saute the blanched trotter pieces for a few seconds to seal the meat.
6. Next bring the vinegar soup to boil, add in pre-fried trotter pieces and cooked for 30 minutes on low heat then add in the hard boiled eggs. (or you can transfer the mixture back to the slower cooker and cook over AUTO for another 2 hours before adding in the egg and cook for another 30 minutes or so)
8. Continue to simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes then add in sugar to taste.
9. Remove from heat, soak the trotter pieces until tenders and the flavour has be absorbed. Serve hot.

Note:
~ Cooking in Slow Cooker prevent the soup from drying out compare to simmer over the stove.
~ Ask for front trotter as it contains more meat than bones.

Although this seems to be a rather time consuming dish to prepared but you can always stored the unfinished broth in the fridge and re-cooked it with extra totters as when you feel like eating it again.




P/s: This dish can be served as a common table dish too, which is not necessary for Confinement Mothers only :)