Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Fujian Red Rice Wine Lees Chicken Soup
福建紅糟雞湯
Recipe overview
Red fermented rice wine lees, ginger, chicken and shiitake make a drinkable red broth. Fujian cooking wine is included; cooking may leave residual alcohol.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 800 g skinless bone-in chicken thigh pieces
- 6, soaked until soft dried shiitake
- 40 g, sliced ginger
- 1.5 litres water
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
Soup seasoning
- 80 g edible red rice wine lees
- 50 ml Fujian cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp, adjust for lees saltiness
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- mushroom soaking bowl
- soup pot
- spatula
- measuring jug
- ladle
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Check chicken pieces
Remove bone shards and separate raw and cooked utensils.
Step 2
Soak shiitake
Soak in water about 15 minutes until soft.
Step 3
Slice ginger
Scrub ginger and cut thick slices.
Step 4
Measure lees and wine
Check edible lees are sound; measure cooking wine.
Step 5
Prepare mushrooms
Squeeze mushrooms and remove stems; discard gritty soaking liquid.
Step 6
Fry ginger
Heat oil in soup pot and fry ginger for one minute.
Step 7
Lightly brown chicken
Add chicken and turn about five minutes until the surface changes colour.
Step 8
Stir in red lees
Fry lees one minute so the chicken takes on red colour.
Step 9
Add water and mushrooms
Pour in 1.5 litres water, add mushrooms and wine and bring to a boil.
Step 10
Simmer soup
Skim foam, cover and gently simmer about 30 minutes, keeping enough liquid.
Step 11
Check doneness and season
Check meat near the largest bone reaches 75°C for 30 seconds and adjust salt for lees.
Step 12
Ladle soup
Give each bowl chicken, shiitake and red broth; serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Using mouldy or non-food-grade lees
- Cross-contamination from raw chicken
- Meat near bone not fully cooked
- Claiming all alcohol vanished during simmering
Tips
Buy food-grade lees; measure meat near bone, and serve this wine-containing soup only to adults for whom it is suitable.
