(Episode 7)

https://youtu.be/lRtewKRC6iU

Original website: https://redhousespice.com/drunken-chicken/

Ingredients

For the chicken

     - 3 (about 680g/1.5lb) free-range chicken legs

     - 5 slices of ginger

     - 2 stalks of scallions

     - 6 dried red dates/jujube (optional)

For the brine

     - 2 tsp of salt

     - 1 tsp of sugar

     - 1 tbsp of goji berries/wolfberries (optional)

     - 180 ml (about 3/4 cup) Shaoxing rice wine, preferably Hua Diao/花雕 variety

Directions

Make chicken rolls

1) Remove the bones of the chicken legs. Lay one piece flat with the skin side down. Roughly score the meat to make it more even in thickness (do not cut through).

2) Tightly roll the meat into a cylinder. Use kitchen twine to secure (You may also wrap it with kitchen foil/aluminium foil).

Cook the chicken

3) Put the chicken rolls, along with the bones, into a small pot (ideally just big enough to hold the rolls in a single layer). Add ginger, scallions and red dates. Pour in water enough to cover the meat.

4) Bring it to a full boil then turn the heat to the lowest. Leave to simmer with a lid on for 10 mins. Then remove the pot from the cooker. Leave to steep (still covered) for a further 10 mins.

5) Check the doneness by inserting a skewer into a chicken roll. They're cooked if there isn't much resistance and the juice coming out is clear (if using a kitchen thermometer, the inner part of the chicken should be above 165°F/74°C).

6) Put the chicken rolls into a big bowl of cold water (ideally with ice cubes). Leave to cool for 10 mins.

Prepare the brine

7) While waiting for the chicken to cool. Pour about 250ml (1 cup) of the chicken stock made from the last step, through a sieve, into a non-reactive container. Add the cooked red dates, salt, sugar, rice wine, and goji berries (see note 2). Leave to cool.

Soak the chicken

8) Once the brine cools down to room temperature, put in the chilled chicken rolls (They should be fully immersed. Top up with more stock if necessary).

9) Refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Slice the rolls and put them into a serving bowl. Pour in some brine and garnish with red dates and goji berries.

Time: 12 hours 30 min (10 min prep + 20 min cook + 12 hours soak)

Serving(s): 3

Note(s): (1) You may use other cuts of chicken, such as pieces of breast, thighs or wings. Alter the cooking time accordingly. (2) If you wish to reduce the alcoholic taste of the dish, you may either alter the stock wine ratio (more stock and less wine) or boil the brine mixture for 2 mins.

Original website: https://whattocooktoday.com/drunken-chicken-soup.html

Ingredients

     - About 2 1/2 to 3 lbs of whole chicken

     - 4 tbsp of good quality sesame oil

     - 6 pieces of 4-inch ginger slices

     - 3 cups of Shaoxing wine

     - 4 cups of water

     - Pinch of salt and sugar

Directions

1) Remove any extra fat from the chicken and its cavity. Leave the skin on and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces (with bones). You most likely need a cleaver to get this job done. If you are not a fan of chopping chicken with its bone, you can use boneless chicken thighs/breasts or whatever you prefer or leg quarters.

2) Heat a large pot or wok until really hot. Add in the sesame oil. Add in the ginger slices and stir fry until really fragrant, about 1 minute. Add in the chicken pieces and stir-fry until the chicken turns opaque, about 5 minutes or so. Splash in the wine. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for about 10 minutes (if you are concerned about alcohol content, the alcohol will be cooked off during this period). Add in 5 cups of water, salt, and sugar and then bring it back to a boil and then lower the heat to let it simmer for the next 1 hour or until the meat is cooked through and tender. Have a taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serving(s): 4

Note(s): The 4 cups of water may be substituted with cooking wine if you want more wine in the recipe, for example, when preparing this for "confinement".