Wine Chicken

Recipe by Amy Beh

Wine Chicken

• 1.5-2kg chicken, chopped

Seasoning

• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp corn oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 10 shallots, peeled and kept whole
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp Italian mixed herbs
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 can button mushrooms, halved
• 200g carrots, cut into wedges
• 5 red dates, seeded
• 2 slices of ham, chopped
• 1 leek (use white portion only), sliced
• 70g sweet snow peas
• ½ bottle red wine
• ½ cup fresh chicken stock

Roux

• 1½ tbsp plain flour
• 1½ tbsp corn oil

Lightly marinate chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in a saucepan; sauté garlic, shallots, bay leaves and ham until fragrant. Add marinated chicken to mix.

Pour in chicken stock and add the mixed herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and add onion, mushrooms, carrots and red dates. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until meat is tender.

Pour in red wine and stir well to mix. Add leek and snow peas. Cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add roux to mix.

To prepare roux: Heat oil in a non-stick saucepan. Stir in plain flour to mix. Keep stirring until sauce turns slightly golden. Scoop a ladleful of stock from the main dish and mix with the roux. Keep stirring until a paste is formed. Transfer the roux into the main dish. Stir well until gravy is thick.

Drunken Crabs

2 mud crabs (fairly large ones)
1 tbsp shredded ginger

Sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
400ml Shao Hsing Hua Tiau wine
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp soft brown sugar
1 tbsp marmite sauce

Clean the crabs, remove the shell and cut into half. Heat oil in a wok and deep-fry crabs for 1 minute. Dish out and drain.

Remove the oil, leaving only one tablespoon in the wok. Add ginger and fry until fragrant. Pour in the wine and add the remaining sauce ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Keep stirring the sauce to prevent it from burning.

Add the crabs and stir briskly to coat the crabs with the sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens. Dish out and serve.