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Previous projects:
1. Exploring Taipei's eats during my last Taipei trip
2. The "One new dish a day!" project and my review.

Friday, June 25, 2010

Effortless drunken Chicken

The preparation takes less than 15 minutes and soaking takes about a day. With proper planning you may enjoy this delicious dish effortlessly. This recipe is adapted from a recipe from Shyh-Pwu Tien's book titled "Chinese Home Cooking Made Easy".

DSC09679(看中文版)
Ingredients:
  • 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
  • 3 green onions, cut into pieces of about 2-inch long
  • 6 ginger root slices
  • 2 cups of chicken broth
  • 2/3 cup of Shaoxing wine

Directions:
  1. Boil the chicken broth. Add the chicken thighs, the green onions, and the ginger root slices. Cover and cook until the chicken is just done, but still tender, about 7-10 minutes. Avoid overcooking the chicken. Remove the chicken. Put the chicken broth in a container which will be used to soak the chicken.
  2. Wait until the chicken and the chicken broth has been cooled down. Mix the Shaoxing wine with 1 cup of chicken broth. Taste the liquid and add salt or wine, if necessary. This is the liquid that you will soak your chicken with and determines how your chicken tastes at the end. At this point, make sure that the liquid tastes just the way you'd like your drunken chicken to taste.
  3. Cut the chicken thighs into smaller pieces and soak them in the chicken broth and wine liquid. The chicken will be ready to serve after one day.

Nutrition fact: Chicken is a very good source of protein.

Cooking tips:
  1. In general, make the soaking wine liquid with 3 parts of chicken broth and 2 parts of Shaoxing wine. You may adjust the proportion of the wine according to your own preference. How much of the soaking wine liquid to prepare? It depends on the amount of chicken you use. The rule is to prepare enough of the wine soaking liquid so that all the chicken pieces will be covered in the liquid.
  2. Any chicken parts, with skin or with bones can be used in this dish. Which parts of chicken to make this dish depends on each individual's preference and health concerns. The trick is not to overcook the chicken.

Sauteed Broccoli Rabe with Onions

DSC09678(看中文版)
Ingredients: broccoli rabe, cut into small pieces; onions, sliced (shallots may be used instead of onions)

Directions:
  1. Blanch the broccoli rabe in boiling water for 1-2 minutes.
  2. Saute the onions in oil until soft and aroma out.
  3. Mix in the broccoli rabe and continue sauteing for another minute. Add salt and sugar to taste. Thicken the juice with corn starch, if desired.
Pesticide Residue Level: low (show source)

Nutrition fact: "Broccoli Rabe" is a source of vitamins A, C, and K, as well as potassium, calcium, and iron. (show source)

Cooking Tip: Add salt with care. You'd rather add less than more, since you can always add more, if needed. Not all brands of salt are the same. Always add a little salt, and taste the dish. Repeatedly do so until the taste is right.

How to rescue this dish, if too salty? Add more greens, same or different kind such as spinach; or use the salty broccoli rabe in fried rice or pasta without adding more salt.

Other information: "Broccoli Rabe" is also named as "Rapini".