CHICKEN WITH BLACK MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• In a bowl, cover mushrooms with water and soak for 20 minutes.
• Using a heavy knife, cut the chicken through the bones into 12 to 14 serving-size pieces. Place the chicken in a pot with water to cover.
• Heat until boiling, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain into a colander and run under cold water.
• Remove mushrooms from water, discard stems, and cut large caps into halves.
• Combine the chicken, mushrooms, boiling water, rice wine, ginger and salt in a heavy pot that will fit inside a bigger pot.
• Put several inches of water in the bigger pot, and boil. In the bottom of the bigger pot, place a rack, and put the pot holding the chicken on it.
• Cover both the pot with the soup and the bigger pot and cook over medium heat for one and a half hours. Replenish the bigger pot with more boiling water as it runs low.
• When the soup is cooked, skim the fat, remove ginger, and add salt to taste.