You would never wine being the star of a dish, especially in Chinese cooking. back in ye old days where the weather was much much colder and there was no such thing as heaters the only way to stay warm is through food. With a simple cup of wine paired with some ginger it helped promote blood circulation, eliminate gastric gas, keeps the body warm and promotes healing. If the elixir of life was a dish, this would probably be it, but you are more likely to get drunk off it than anything else.
A little splash of rice wine, a little hint of fiery fresh ginger, along with some sweet red dates and goji berries this is a simple one pot dish that is sure to feed a crowd. With clean yet complex flavours, this is the perfect dish for cold nights and for relaxing after a long day at work. Simple, easy and so so yummy.
Ingredients
400g of Chicken Thighs
1 Cup of Shao Xing Wine
1 Thumb Sized Piece of Ginger
4 Cloves of Garlic
3-4 Red Dates
Goji Berries
1tb of Light Soy Sauce
1tb of Sesame Seed Oil
3tb of Oyster Sauce
STEPS
Start by peeling 4 cloves of garlic and with your knife give it a little WHACK.
Peel and thinly slice 1 thumb sized piece of ginger.
If you are using boneless chicken thighs chop them up into little bite size pieces. If not chop them up into manageable sized.
In a pot add in 1tb of sesame seed oil and heat up to high heat.
Once smoking hot add in chicken and give it a quick fry around till the chicken is nicely brown and released some of its lovely juices.
To that add in your ginger and your garlic and continue to fry, till your whole kitchen just smells amazing.
Add in 1 whole cup of shao xing wine, feel free to add more if you want that extra buzz. Lower the heat to medium and scrap up all the good bits at the bottom.
Gently halve and pit your red dates and add them into the pot along with a hand full of goji berries and enough water to cover at least 1 inch above the chicken.
Season the whole thing with 1tb of light soy sauce, 3tb of oyster sauce, cover with a lid leaving a small gap and let it simmer for 30 minutes till fragrant and yummy.
Season to taste with more light soy sauce or salt and serve up with a nice bowl of rice or noodles.
As you enjoy this dish try not to get too drunk on its addictive aroma and taste. Happy Cooking,
