Kitchen Recipe Collection
Shanghai Drunken Chicken (Zui Ji)
An elegant cold appetizer. Chicken is poached until tender, then submerged for days in a fragrant marinade of high-quality Shaoxing wine and herbs, served chilled.
- Prep
- 2880 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 2910 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- Chinese
Ingredients
Scaled for 6 servings
- 1 whole chicken (or 4 whole legs), preferably free-range
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 scallions
- 2 cups high-quality Shaoxing rice wine (do NOT use cheap cooking wine)
- 2 cups chicken broth (reserved from poaching)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp goji berries (optional)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large glass container with lid
Instructions
- 1
Poach Chicken
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with the ginger and scallions. Submerge the chicken, reduce to the lowest simmer, and poach for 25-30 minutes.
- 2
Ice Bath
Remove the chicken and immediately plunge it into an ice bath for 10 minutes. This stops the cooking and tightens the skin.
- 3
Prepare Broth
Take 2 cups of the hot poaching liquid. Stir in the salt and sugar until completely dissolved. Let this broth cool to room temperature.
- 4
Mix Marinade
Once the broth is cool, mix it with the 2 cups of high-quality Shaoxing wine and the goji berries.
- 5
Chop Chicken (Optional)
You can leave the chicken whole, or chop it into large pieces to fit into your container.
- 6
Submerge Chicken
Place the cold chicken into a glass container. Pour the wine marinade over it. The chicken must be completely submerged.
- 7
Refrigerate
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 48 hours. This time is necessary for the wine to penetrate the meat down to the bone.
- 8
Serve Cold
When ready to serve, remove the chicken from the liquid.
- 9
Carve
Chop the chicken into neat, bite-sized pieces with a heavy cleaver.
- 10
Plate
Arrange the pieces neatly on a serving platter.
- 11
Garnish
Spoon a little of the wine marinade and the plumped goji berries over the meat.
- 12
Enjoy
Serve cold as a refreshing, highly aromatic appetizer to stimulate the appetite.
Cooking Tips
- The quality of the wine is the most important factor. Do not use 'cooking wine' from the supermarket, which is loaded with salt. Buy a good bottle of aged Shaoxing Hua Diao wine.
- Serving it cold allows the gelatin in the skin to firm up, creating a wonderful bouncy texture.
Variations
- Drunken Shrimp: The same marinade technique is used for fresh cooked shrimp.
Nutrition Estimate
250 calories · 28g protein · 2g carbs · 12g fat · 0g fiber per serving
