Wine-Braised Chicken With Peanuts

Wine-Braised Chicken With Peanuts

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

Every now and then I crave for confinement food. I guess it could be because I love to eat the combination of ginger and wine. Both ginger and wine are two main ingredients abundantly used in Chinese confinement dishes. The wine is meant to strengthen and warm up the constitution of women's bodies after undergoing the rigours of childbirth, while ginger is widely known to get rid of the wind and dampness from the body. Old folks advised that black fungus helps to rid blood clots.

For ordinary people who are not in confinement but who wish to indulge in the rich foods of confinement women, bear in mind that the amount of ginger and wine have to be consumed in moderation. Otherwise there is bound to be side effects like headache, toothache or even a rise in blood pressure. On a personal level, I tend to cook this during the rainy season when  temperatures have turn way low or when I feel a bout of weaknesses enveloping me.

Therefore,  if I need a little prep-up or if I am cooking this dish just to assuage my craving, I have to reduce the amount of ginger and wine in my cooking. Furthermore, I have to use young ginger instead of old, matured ginger.

Ingredients

100g peanuts, soaked overnight     ( add more peanuts if you prefer more peanuts )
50g black fungus, soaked until soft and cut into pieces
50g kam cham, soaked until soft and squeeze dry
1/2 chicken, chopped into pieces
40g young ginger, shredded        ( used 100g matured ginger for ladies in real confinement)
1 bulb garlic, smashed
1 cup Stone's ginger wine            ( use 2 cups of this wine for ladies in confinement )
1.8 litres water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce

Method

1.  Boil peanuts with 1.8 litres over low heat for 1 1/2 hours or until peanuts are soft.
2.  Add in chicken, black fungus, kam cham and half the amount of wine.
3.  Let it come to a boil and reduce to medium flame and continue to cook for 25 minutes.
4.  Add in salt, soy sauce and sugar. 
5.  Add in the remaining wine. Stir to mix well. 
6.  Switch off flame.