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40 APRIL 2019
MAD GENIUS TIP
Inspired by Chinese drunken
chicken, this soup stars an
entire bottle of Shaoxing
wine. Fresh ginger imparts
a bright and restorative
quality to the broth.
Drunken Chicken Soup
ACTIVE 30 MIN; TOTAL 2 HR; SERVES 6
Shaoxing wine is fermented from rice. It’s
commonly sold as a cooking wine and
loaded with salt. Use one for drinking
here—it will yield a more balanced broth.
8 cups water
1 (750-ml) bottle Shaoxing wine or
dry sherry (not cooking wine)
4 oz. fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
(about^3 / 4 cup) (from 1 [7^1 / 2 -inch]
piece)
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
6 whole scallions
2 Tbsp. plus^1 / 2 tsp. kosher salt,
divided
1 (3^1 / 2 -lb.) whole chicken
1 lb. kohlrabi, peeled and cut into
1-inch pieces
4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, stemmed
and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2
cups)
3 baby bok choy, trimmed and sliced
(about 4 cups)
2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 cup thinly sliced scallions
Ground Szechuan peppercorns, for
serving (optional)
- Stir together 8 cups water, wine, ginger,
sugar, whole scallions, and^1 / 2 teaspoon
salt in a large Dutch oven. Remove giblets
from chicken; reserve for another use, if
desired. Add chicken to Dutch oven, and
bring mixture to a boil over medium-high.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer
until a meat thermometer inserted in
thickest portion of thigh registers 165°F,
about 1 hour and 30 minutes, skimming
foam from surface of soup occasionally.
- Transfer chicken to a work surface; let
cool slightly. Remove and discard ginger
and whole scallions from broth, and add
kohlrabi and mushrooms. Cover and cook
over medium-low until kohlrabi is tender,
about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, remove and discard skin
from chicken; pull meat off bones. Discard
bones. Shred meat into bite-size pieces.
- Stir shredded chicken, bok choy, and
sesame oil into soup. Cover and cook until
chicken is heated through and bok choy is
crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in
sliced scallions and remaining 2 table-
spoons salt. Ladle soup into bowls, and
serve with ground Szechuan pepper-
corns, if using.
WINEDry amontillado sherry: Lustau Los
Arcos
