Emperor's braised claypot chicken

Singapore - Exploring new frontiers is part and parcel of a chef's culinary odyssey. For Hong Kong native Alan Chan, the 20-year journey has seen him through several restaurants in Hong Kong and Kowloon - with an eventual move to Singapore in 2001. He spent the last decade honing his skills at popular Singapore restaurant chain Crystal Jade, where he quickly worked his way up to master chef of Crystal Jade Dining In at VivoCity in 2011.

And just when one might think it could not get any better for the veteran chef, a little over a month ago, Chan was appointed Chinese executive chef at Jiang-Nan Chun, the Four Seasons Singapore Hotel's award-winning Cantonese restaurant.

In perhaps a nod to his humble but gastronomically fruitful beginnings, the recipe he shares here is a dish his grandma would often cook for him growing up in Hong Kong; particularly as comfort food during the cold autumn-winter months. This communal dish also features chicken, vegetables and mushrooms - not surprisingly all of Chan's favourites. He has incorporated abalone for added sumptuousness, and leek, an ingredient he finds in many Singaporean recipes, especially in Chinese New Year dishes, as it is known to be an auspicious ingredient. Lucky for us, I suppose.