Drunken Chicken

Drunken chicken is a very popular appetizer in Chinese cuisine. Cooked chicken is marinated in wine and chilled before serving. I have tasted some of the best drunken chicken in renowned restaurant such as Din Tai Fung 鼎泰丰 and Dragon-i龙的传人

Not to say that my recipe is comparable to those served in these restaurants, but it is always fun trying to prepare it yourself at home. Furthermore, you can adjust the taste according to your preferences. Some might find this dish too "alcoholic" and literally making you drunk, so by making it yourself, you can reduce the amount of alcohol put into it.

Before going into the recipe, there's one key ingredient which you should know. It's the Shao Xing Wine 绍兴酒.

This wine is widely used in Chinese cooking. It gives an extra flavour to the cooking. You can get them in Asian Stores. 

Ingredients A

2                   Chicken Thigh

1 inch            Ginger (pounded)

2 cloves         Garlic (do not peel of the skin)

1 tbsp            Chicken Powder

1 tbsp            Wolfberry (optional)

salt to taste

Ingredients B

1 tsp             Sugar

1 tbsp           Oyster Sauce

2 tbsp           Light Soya Sauce

1/2 -1 cup     Shao Xing Wine (adjusted to personal preference)

1 tsp             Sesame Oil

1-2tbsp         Chicken Stock* (warm Chicken Stock to melt the sugar)

*Chicken stock - The soup from boiling the chicken is used as Chicken Stock.

1. Put the chicken into a big pot and add in tap water. Make sure the chicken is fully submerged in the water. Add in the rest of ingredients A.

2. Turn on the fire and bring the water to boil. Once the water is boiling, immediately turn off the fire and cover the pot with lid. Let it stand for at least 1 hour. (this ensures the chickens are properly cooked)

3. Dish up the chicken and soak in iced water for 15 minutes. Keep the soup in the pot for use as Chicken Stock.

4.By now, the chicken will be soft and tender. You can easily de-bone the chicken before cutting them into pieces.

5. Mix all ingredients B together and pour over the chicken. Keep the chicken refrigerated overnight.

6. Serve chilled.