U'ng Chow Chicken

This is a very well-known Sarawakian Foochow dish which is usually home cooked. For some reason, you don't usually find this in restaurants. U'ng Chow chicken uses the lees (U'ng Chow) which are the residues from the Foochow Red Wine (U'ng Chew) making process.

I cook this dish very much like how some people do with soya chicken. The chicken blends well with the U'ng Chow which gives off a wonderful aroma. The sweet taste of the U'ng Chow can be very addictive. But maybe for some, it is an acquired taste.

And very coincidentally today, Suzanne actually talked about missing Uang Chow and this dish. So here is the recipe:

1/2 no of med-large or 1 small no of free range chicken
1 heaped tbsp of U'ng chow
1 teasp of salt
1 tbsp of sesame oil + 1 tbsp of vegie oil
3-4 slices of ginger, at the length of a thumb
1 tbsp of minced garlic
3 tbsp of light soya
3 tbsp of sugar
1/2 cup of Foochow Red Wine

1) Clean and chop chicken to smaller pieces. Season with U'ng Chow and salt for at least 3 hours.

2) Heat your wok with oil. Stir fry ginger and garlic til fragrant.

3) Add chicken and stir fry till chicken are coated with oil and garlic and ginger. When chicken pieces are slightly shrinking, add light soya and 1/2 of the Red wine and 1/4 cup of water.
(Tips: Add the 1/4 cup of water to the bowl where you seasoned the chicken and wash out any leftover U'ng Chow in there.)
Close lid and let it simmer at med-small fire for til soft.

4) Add sugar and stir. Turn up fire and let juice boil till half the original amount and sticky. Boil to reduced slightly only if you like more sauce to go with the rice. Right before turning off the fire, add rest of red wine.

Serve with rice.