Shaoxing Drunken Chicken

 

Life can be a little chaotic at times. Everyone experiences it, and when it does, simple, already prepared meals are helpful. Having some pre-made meals is a lifesaver.

Shaoxing Drunken Chicken is a chilly dish that I used to make for the Chinese New Year and would want to share it with you today. With this cold meal, your schedule won't be too hectic. Of course, eating this dish is not limited to festivals. It might be prepared in advance, making your nights easier.

The traditional method calls for using a whole chicken, cooking it until the meat is separated from the bone, chopping it up into bite-sized pieces, and then marinating it in Shaoxing wine for two days so that the wine is fragrant and the chicken tastes fresh and energizing.

The current method is slightly different from the original. Instead of using a full chicken, I'm using boneless chicken thighs. The drunken chicken would taste spicy and choking if it is marinated in rice wine or sorghum wine, making it unsuitable for children. Online recipe searches will reveal that some of the recipes call for chicken wings. Nonetheless, avoid chicken breast.

Chicken that has been served after being soaked and chilled is known as drunken chicken. However, those who are used to eating chicken as a hot dish might not like such "cold chicken." The chicken's meat becomes firm and revived to eat after soaking and cooling.

Some methods like using bone-in chicken thighs. Personally, I prefer boneless thighs, which are juicy, tender, and delicious.

 

INGREDIENTS

3 chicken thighs, deboned.

¼ salt and 1 tsp Shaoxing wine for each thigh, to remove the fishy smell

 

SAUCE

2 cups chicken stock,

½ cup or 1 cup of Shaoxing wine, depending on personal preference

2 tbsp of goji berries

1 tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

METHODS

1. Prepare the chicken by sprinkling with a little salt and laying it on a sheet of aluminium foil. Add 1 teaspoon of wine and wrap the chicken into foil packets so that the juice from the chicken will remain inside after cooking.

2. Heat just enough water in a pot to cover the chicken rolls. Make certain there is sufficient to cover the chicken rolls. Do not allow the water to boil rapidly. Cook on low heat for about 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the meat sit in the chicken soup stock for about 5 minutes. Remove them and submerge them in freezing water. This primarily allows the chicken rolls to cool down so that the water will not evaporate with the steam which will keep the meat tender and fresh.

3. To make the sauce, combine the wine with up to 2 cups of chicken stock from step 2. Even though the ratio is 1:1, I am using 1 cup of Shaoxing wine (or more, depending on your taste). Next come the goji berries, salt, and sugar. The soup should be brought to a boil. Allow it to be cooled totally.

4. Get an airtight container ready, put the cooled chicken inside, and add the cool sauce. For the drunken chicken flavour, the food should be covered and kept in storage for one to two days.

5. Remove the chicken from the container, slice and placed it on a plate, and top with the sauce. ENJOY!!