The one factor higher than recipe? When one thing’s really easy that you just don’t even want one. Welcome to It’s That Easy, a column the place we speak you thru the dishes and drinks we will make with our eyes closed.
Let’s fake we’re friends and we occur to be chatting on the cellphone about our failed New Yr’s resolutions, the boy subsequent door, and the right way to burn up the hen in your freezer. Slightly than a ho-hum roast, I’d say, “How about turning to Taiwanese drunken hen (醉雞), which is brothy and aromatic and ensures leftovers you really wish to eat?”
The fantastic thing about this recipe is that the broth does all of the work.
With roots from China, particularly Shaoxing, a metropolis within the Zhejiang province, the dish makes full use of the well-known Shaoxing rice wine, generally utilized in Chinese language cooking. For the uninitiated, Shaoxing wine is the star of the present in drunken hen, however when you see bottles labeled “rice cooking wine” with out the Shaoxing designation, they are going to work too.
You will discover riffs on drunken hen throughout Asia. It’s mostly made with the entire fowl, minimize up and offered by the piece in eating places and road meals stalls. My household at all times makes drunken hen utilizing the entire hen as a result of we’re a household of eaters, however the identical course of and approach can be utilized for no matter cuts you’ve.
My favourite is boneless hen thighs, which may be rolled up ballotine-style and minimize into thick slices. But when aesthetics imply little to you, as they do to me, you may swap in any minimize of hen you will have within the fridge: Drumsticks, breasts, and even wings (an amazing little snack discovered at night time markets in Taiwan) all end in a stellar dish.
Right here’s the right way to make my household’s Taiwanese Drunken Rooster:
In a medium saucepan, place 3 boneless, skin-on hen thighs and canopy with chilly water. Add in any aromatics you’ve in your kitchen, just like the inexperienced bits of scallions, a knob of ginger, and goji berries and star anise if in case you have them available. Add just a few massive pinches (about 1 tsp.) of salt, a splash (about 1 Tbsp.) of Shaoxing wine. Convey the combination to a boil, after which cut back it to a simmer. Simmer till cooked via, about 10 minutes. At this stage, in Asia, many cooks take out the hen and plunge it in chilly water, for rarer meat, however resting within the scorching broth ensures it’s cooked totally and not using a trace of pink—flip off the warmth, put the lid on, and let the hen relaxation for an additional 10 minutes. You’ll comprehend it’s executed while you minimize via the meat and the juices run clear. Pour 1 cup Shaoxing wine into the broth, put the lid again on, and place within the fridge in a single day. When able to serve, minimize the hen into items, generously drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with salt. Serve chilly or at room temperature with the broth and a few steamed rice.
