Drunken Chicken 醉雞 (zùi jī) is a dish that originated in Zhejiang province long, long ago but not sure when. There are many variations of the dish but all of them are served cold. It can be made with the whole or part of the chicken. My recipe will show you how to make the more current boneless variety that has an impressive appearance.
But first, let me tell you the story of the Drunken Chicken….
Once upon a time there were three brothers, they lived together with their respective wives. Eldest brother who was in charge of the household finances was ready to pass this responsibility onto another family member. He wanted to pass it onto third brother’s wife who came from a poor family and was already doing many of the household chores. The other two wives came from wealthier families and were more pampered. Since controlling household finances came with power and respect, all three wives wanted this job.
They came up with a plan that they all agreed on which was over the next three days, each wife will cook a chicken dish. Whoever makes the best chicken, gets the job. The eldest brother’s wife went first. She made a ginseng chicken soup. Although the soup was very tasty, the chicken was tough. Second brother’s wife made a poached chicken which had great texture but not much taste. On the third day, third brother’s wife came out with a covered platter. When she removed the cover, they were all mesmerized by the aroma of the Shaoxing Yellow wine. The chicken texture was tender and the taste was a complex flavour of wine and Chinese herbs. There was no doubt that she got the job.
Soon, the whole village got wind of what happened. They wanted to know the name of the dish and how she made it. She called it 醉雞 (zùi jī). She said she poached the chicken and then submersed it in a cold marinade made of wine and Chinese herbs for three days. She’s lucky she got to go third!
Drunken Chicken 醉雞 is one of my favourite appetizer dishes. I like the subtle medicinal flavour that’s mainly from angelica root 當歸 (dāng gūi). You can usually get this in dry form at any Chinese herbal store or Chinese supermarket.
My Drunken Chicken 醉雞 recipe makes this seemingly difficult dish quite simple. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and it’s sure to impress your friends and family!
Looking for more dinner ideas? How about my Chinese Steamed Fish 清蒸魚 or Steamed Egg with Pork 滑蛋蒸豬肉?
Drunken Chicken 醉雞
Ingredients
- 3 Chicken legs with skin intact
- 1 ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp White pepper
- 2 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 slice Ginger
- 1 slice Angelica root (當歸 dānggūi)
- 2 Red dates (or 1 large one)
- 3 g Goji berries
- 1 c Chicken broth
- ½ c Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Chicken broth powder
Instructions
- In a pot, add 1 cup chicken broth, ½ cup Shaoxing wine, 1 or more slices of ginger, 1-2 red dates cut in half, 1 or more slices of angelica root, 1 tsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp sugar
You will need enough to cover all the chicken that will be put in a container and stored in the fridge for 8 hours 
- Bring the mixture to a boil and then let it simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off heat, remove all the solids, add a small handful or 3 g of goji berries and let cool completely
Goji berries are added afterwards to prevent the marinade from having a slightly tart flavour - While the marinade is cooking, debone chicken leaving the meat in one piece and trim off excessive fat
- Use approx. 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp white pepper to rub the chicken pieces on both sides
- Use approx. 2 tsp sesame oil and rub only the skin sides
- Prepare a piece of tin foil for each piece of chicken
- Place the chicken, skin side down onto the tin foil
- Roll the chicken, length-wise, to form a roll
- Then wrap the tin foil tightly around the chicken
- Gather one end and twist to close the opening
- Hold the roll vertically with closed side down and try to press down on the other end to press the chicken together to eliminate any spaces. Then gather the other end and twist to close
- Steam on high heat for 15 minutes or until done
You can insert a toothpick to check for doneness. After you pull out the toothpick and the juice runs clear, then it should be done. I highly recommend a digital meat thermometer though; they’re easy and precise - When the chicken is done, place it into a plastic bag and submerse in cold water for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.
This process will give the skin a bit more elasticity. The plastic bag prevents the water from going into the chicken - Unwrap the chicken, put into a container and pour the marinade to cover all of the chicken. Cover container and store in the fridge for 8 hours
If the chicken floats up, you can put a small plate on top of the chicken to weigh down - After 8 hours, slice the chicken and arrange in serving plate
- Pour some of the marinade onto the chicken
- Serve cold
Notes
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