Drunken Chicken (Zui Ji, 醉鸡)

Method11 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Debone all three skin-on chicken legs, keeping the bones for the poaching pot. Lay each boneless leg skin-side down and score the flesh without cutting through, to even its thickness. Keep the chicken cold while preparing the rolls.

   Uses 3 free-range chicken legs, skin-on and bone-in (about 680 g total)

   
2. 2

   Step 2: Roll each boneless chicken piece from step 1 tightly into a cylinder and secure with kitchen twine, or wrap with kitchen foil. Keep the reserved bones from step 1 separate for the pot.

   Uses Three boneless skin-on chicken pieces, separate from reserved bones

   
3. 3

   Step 3: Put the three rolled chicken pieces from step 2 and the reserved bones from step 1 into a small pot that holds the rolls in one layer. Add the ginger slices (5), scallion stalks (2) and optional dried jujubes, then pour in just enough poaching water to cover the chicken.

   Uses three raw chicken rolls · Bones removed from the three legs · 5 ginger slices · 2 scallion stalks · 6 dried red dates (jujubes), optional · Water, just enough to cover the chicken rolls and bones

   
4. 4

   Step 4: Bring the chicken pot from step 3 to a full boil, then reduce to the lowest heat. Cover and leave at a bare simmer for 10 minutes.

   Simmer chicken rolls · 10 minUses chicken rolls and bones in seasoned poaching water

5. 5

   Step 5: Remove the covered chicken pot from step 4 from the heat. Keep the lid on and leave the rolls to steep in the hot stock for a further 10 minutes.

   Steep chicken off heat · 10 minUses covered simmered chicken pot

6. 6

   Step 6: After the covered steep in step 5, check the center of each chicken roll with a food thermometer: it must reach at least 74°C (165°F). If any roll is below that temperature, return the pot to a gentle simmer and continue cooking until it is fully cooked. Keep the poaching stock and cooked jujubes for the brine.

   Uses covered steeped chicken pot

7. 7

   Step 7: Lift the fully cooked chicken rolls from the pot in step 6 into a separate large bowl of clean cold drinking water, with optional ice cubes. Cool for about 10 minutes. Drain the rolls well and discard the bath water; keep the cooked rolls refrigerated if the brine is not ready yet.

   Cool cooked chicken rolls · 10 minUses Cooked rolls lifted from the stock pot · Clean cold drinking water, enough to cool the cooked rolls in a separate bowl · Ice cubes, if available, for the cooling bath

   
8. 8

   Step 8: While the rolls cool, strain about 250 ml of the cooked stock from step 6 into a non-reactive glass or ceramic container just large enough to hold them. Add the cooked jujubes if used, 2 teaspoons brine salt, teaspoon brine sugar (1 tsp), 180 ml Shaoxing wine and optional tablespoon goji berries (1 tbsp). Stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Cool the brine promptly; standing the container in a cold-water bath can help. Keep the remaining cooked stock refrigerated for any top-up or another use.

   Uses About 250 ml strained cooked chicken stock · The six cooked jujubes, if used · 2 tsp salt for the brine · 1 tsp sugar for the brine · 1 tbsp goji berries, optional · 180 ml Shaoxing rice wine, preferably Hua Diao

   
9. 9

   Step 9: Once the brine from step 8 has cooled, put in the cooled drained chicken rolls from step 7, removing any foil wrapping first. Fully immerse the rolls, topping up with a little more strained cooked stock from step 6 if necessary. Cover and put the container into the refrigerator promptly, within 2 hours of cooking.

   Uses cooled wine brine · Cooled chicken rolls, separate from discarded bath water · Additional strained cooked stock, only as needed to cover the rolls

   
10. 10

    Step 10: Keep the covered chicken-and-brine container from step 9 refrigerated for at least 12 hours to absorb the wine flavor. Keep refrigerated and use within 3 days of cooking.

    Refrigerate wine-marinated chicken · 720 minUses covered cooked chicken in wine brine

11. 11

    Step 11: Lift the chilled marinated chicken rolls from step 10, remove the twine and cut into discs about 1½ cm thick. Arrange in a serving bowl, spoon over some of the brine and garnish with its jujubes and goji berries if used. Serve chilled; keep any remaining chicken and brine refrigerated.

    Uses Chicken rolls lifted from their refrigerated brine · Some of the refrigerated brine and its optional cooked jujubes/goji berries