冬季喝汤 -- 老火西洋菜汤
我很喜欢老火汤，但家里没有一个适合炖汤的锅，就一直很想找个适中而且质量较好的瓦煲。新泽西的几个华人超市我都找过了，都是看起来很漂亮设计很精美却让我没有什么信心的瓦煲。
上星期刚好到费城附近上班，去了中国城吃烧鸭，吃饱后顺道逛逛唐人街，就给我看到这个瓦煲了，价钱还不贵，马上就淘回来了。
晚上向在加州出差的老公说起。他就说：“是呀，我看你也找了很久了嘛！”原来傻大个也有细心的时候，有在留心我的需要喔。
I learnt to enjoy Cantonese soups from my cantonese flatmate when I was in England. I also think a good pot of soup can only be made using claypot.
I have been wanting a good claypot for a long time now and did not see anything of my liking, until one afternoon when I visited Chinatown in PA, I saw this simple claypot sitting right on top of a shelve. and I knew that it is mine.
材料：
3-4 块 汤骨
400 克 西洋菜
5-6 只 红枣
5-6 颗 干贝
适量 盐
Ingredients:
3-4 pieces of soup bones
400 g Watercress
5-6 pieces of dried red dates
5-6 pieces of dried scallops
Salt to taste
瓦煲回来我用洗米水泡了一个晚上，再用干净水泡了几个小时，然后刷干净，注满一锅白水，小火然后逐渐小中火到中火的加热，每半个小时左右加大火候，最大到中火就好了。一直到水滚，然后倒掉水。就处理好了。
New claypot required some kind of seasoning before using, I soaked the pot overnight with some rice water (water from washing rice before cooking) and rinse it thoroughly using soup water and warm water.
I then filled the pot up with clean water and with the lowest heat of my stove range, heating the water until it is slowly boiling. This process may take sometimes, but it is worth the tim as it will prevent the claypot from cracking while cooking later.
1. 新锅处理好后我炖了一锅西洋菜汤。几块汤骨洗净汆烫后再用凉水洗净。
2. 锅里注入2/3锅的水，摆入汤骨，干贝，蚝干后煮滚转中火煮30分钟。
3. 加入红枣和西洋菜，继续中火炖煮2个小时，加盐调味。
1. I made watercress soup the next day with the new pot. Wash and clean a few pieces of pork bones, blanch for about 1-2 minutes in boiling water and rince thoroughly with cold water to wash away impurities.
2. Place the bones in the pot with 2/3 pot full of water with dried scallops,dried oyster (both washed and cleaned before hand) and bring the water to boil, cook for 30 minutes at medium heat.
3. Add the watercress and dates, cook at medium for 2 hours, season with salt.
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