Drunken Chicken醉鸡
A refined Jiangzhe cold dish — chicken thighs poached and chilled, then steeped in a fragrant Huadiao wine brine with goji berries, red dates, angelica root, and star anise until deeply infused.
2 piece
Huadiao Wine
500 ml
1 tsp
Red Dates
3 piece
2 slice
Star Anise
1 piece
6 slice
2 slice
Soy Sauce
2 tbsp
Salt
0.75 tsp
Sugar
2 tbsp
Water
500 ml
huadiao-wine
500 ml
angelica-root
2 slice
star-anise
1 piece
bay-leaves
2 slice
soy-sauce
2 tbsp
salt
0.75 tsp
sugar
2 tbsp
Seasoning Guide: Start with the listed baseline amounts, then adjust gradually after tasting. Fine-tune salt, sugar, acid, and finishing oils in small increments.
Score Chicken for Better Marination
Score the chicken to help the marinade penetrate deeper and more evenly during marination.
Place Chicken in Bowl
Place the scored chicken into a bowl. Add the marinade ingredients.
Cook Chicken Broth
Prepare a pot of chicken broth by simmering bones or the chicken carcass with aromatics.
Pat Chicken Dry
Pat the marinated chicken thigh meat dry with kitchen paper towels to remove surface moisture.
Steam Chicken Rolls
Bring water to a boil in the steamer. Steam the chicken rolls until fully cooked through.
Strain Broth and Add Shaoxing Wine
Strain the chicken broth, then add a generous amount of Shaoxing wine (huadiao wine).
Refrigerate Until Fully Chilled
Place the wine broth and chicken rolls in separate containers and refrigerate until completely chilled — at least 2 hours.
Soak Overnight in Wine Broth
Place the chilled chicken rolls into the chilled wine broth in a deep container. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight until fully infused.
Save the Wine Broth
Don't discard the wine broth used to soak the chicken. Bring it back to a boil on medium heat to sterilize, then cool and store for reuse.
Slice and Serve
Remove the chicken rolls from the wine broth and slice into rounds about 1 cm thick. Arrange neatly on a serving plate and garnish with goji berries.
Serving Suggestion
Serve Drunken Chicken hot with plain rice and one light vegetable side.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat: Reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave before serving.