Hakka Salt & Rice Wine Chicken 客家盐酒浸鸡

A recipe that I saw on a recipe sharing website. Pretty simple ingredients and cooking method and so I have it remembered by heart. Couldn't remember where I saw it from but I told myself I just have to try cooking it one day. I'm a Hakka. My dad a Hakka and mom a Hokkien. How can a Hakka missed this Hakka dish?! :)

Verdict of this dish? Sorry that I have to rate this a PG16 but I would definitely cook it again coz I find it tasty. I guess my hub thought so too coz he said he could finished the whole pot by himself. And mind you, it's 1kg of meat. He was either exaggerating or crazy, haha... The kids like it too! Shhhh... don't tell anyone I feed the kids alcohol okay ;P

Rice wine typically has a higher alcohol content, 18%–25% and the alcohol percentage differs from brand to brand. The one I used has an alcohol percentage of 20%. Alcohol evaporates upon cooking and the longer you cook it, the alcohol percentage being retained gets lesser. View here for more info. Having said that. I'm definitely not encouraging the consumption of liquor here. Personally, I love food cooked with alcohol. Rice wine, DOM, Martell, XO, Huadiao, beer...I have tried it all and loving it! But but please refrain from asking me questions like: Do you think the kids can eat it too? Can those allergic to alcohol eat it too? I'm not qualified and in no position to advise you on these questions. Hope you understand my concern. By all means try this recipe if you feel comfortable with it.

Ingredients:

- 1kg of chicken meat (I used chicken mid-wings)

- Rice wine

- 1/2 - 3/4 tsp salt

- A knob of ginger (crushed with skin on)

- A small handful of wolfberries

- 3 red dates - Optional

1) Place meat in a deep bowl or pot. Add salt and ginger and pour rice wine over the meat. Making sure the meat is fully submerge in the wine.

2) Chill in fridge for at least 2 hours.

3) DO NOT drain off the wine. Rinse wolfberries and red dates and add them to the meat. Steam meat for 30 minutes. *Note: For the sake of convenience, I used a ceramic pot to marinate the meat and I simply bring it out from the fridge and cook it over the stove using the boiling/simmering method. If you want to use this method, just bring it to boil using high heat with the lid covered. Once it started to boil, adjust to small heat and continue to let the meat simmers in the pot for 25-30 minutes with the lid half covered.

Enjoy!