Drunken Chicken with Rice Wine Lees
A classic cold appetizer featuring tender chicken infused with aromatic rice wine lees and yellow wine, with crispy skin and savory-sweet taste, perfect for summer.
Ingredients
10 items- Young chicken (spring chicken) 1 (about 2.2 lbs / 1000g)
- Scallions 2
- Ginger 1 piece
- Yellow wine (Shaoxing wine) 200 ml (3/4 cup)
- Distiller's grains (fermented rice lees) 150 g (5.3 oz)
- Salt 1 tsp
- White sugar 1 tbsp
- Chicken bouillon powder 1/2 tsp (optional)
- Sichuan peppercorns 1 tsp (optional)
- Goji berries some
Nutrition
Steps （6 steps）
Rinse the chicken inside out, pat dry with paper towels.
Bring a large pot of water (about 3 liters) to a boil with scallions and ginger. Hold the chicken by the head and dip it into the boiling water for a few seconds; repeat three times to tighten the skin. Submerge the whole chicken, skim off any foam, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15–20 minutes until a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh runs clear.
Transfer the chicken immediately to an ice water bath and cool completely (about 10 minutes) to crisp the skin. Drain and cut into 1.5-inch (3 cm) pieces.
Crush the distiller's grains into a paste, mix with yellow wine, and strain through a fine sieve to extract the liquid. Stir in salt, sugar, chicken bouillon, and Sichuan peppercorns until fully dissolved.
Place chicken pieces in a sealed container, pour the marinade over to cover completely. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight) to allow flavors to infuse.
Arrange the marinated chicken on a plate, drizzle with some of the marinade, and garnish with soaked goji berries or shredded scallions. Serve cold.
Tips
The ice water bath after cooking is crucial for crispy skin; longer marinating (overnight) deeply enhances flavor; you can substitute distiller's grains with fermented glutinous rice (laozao) for a different but still delicious taste.
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