Updated Post on 13-2-2016

I have promised to prepare some anjiu chicken for a gathering. As I do not have the authentic rice wine as in Sarawak, I have used some red yeast rice residue (anzhao) plus the shaoxing wine. As to the colour, it will depend on your anzhao and how much you have put in the soup. 

UPDATED POST ON 12-12-2014

Since kids are not at home, I have a chance to cook this “alcohol” based noodle dish for our dinner.. It is practically very difficult to get red yeast sweet glutinous rice wine in Singapore..I have no choice but to modify my recipe a bit. As I also did not have red yeast rice residue (红糟）as stated in this recipe, I have used the normal Shaoxing cooking wine plus a teaspoon of red yeast rice grain (红米）. Red yeast rice grain is raw ingredients of making red yeast rice wine. Red yeast rice grain and glutinous rice were fermented to get red yeast rice wine and the by product is is red yeast rice residue.

INTRODUCTION

This is not a common hawker center food item but they are stores that sell this  in Singapore. The one that I can remember  is near the Kwan Yin temple in Bugis and another one in Jurong. However, this is a common and important dish in most Foochow families especially in Sibu, Sarawak and Sitiawan Perak. This long life noodles were served during Chinese New Year or other important festivals.

I am not a Foochow but being in Sarawak for many years, I have been exposed to this dish. Though it may not be necessary be red in colour, it is in essence ginger wine chicken. The colour and the taste of the dish will very much depend on the type of rice wine that are used. For those wine that made with red yeast rice (红曲），the color will be reddish. It can either be sweet or plain. Personally, for this dish, I will prefer to have the sweet rice wine to go with it. You can refer here for a simple write up on the what is red yeast rice.

It is not easy to get the red yeast rice wine (红糟酒）。 In fact, I do not think it is commercially sold over the counter in Singapore. However, traditional Foochow do make their own red yeast rice wine for home consumption. For this illustration, I am not using the red yeast rice wine, I am using the red yeast rice residue (红糟） given by my neighbour. As contrast to the wine, these rice residue can be easily bought over the counter in supermarket. Therefore, I have added a few tablespoons of these rice residue and some commercial sold glutinous rice cooking wine.

I should say, the red yeast rice residue is OPTIONAL. Without this, it is equally delicious. It is essentially ginger chicken flour vermicelli (mee sua). It is aromatic and at times prepared by confinement lady for ladies who just gave birth.

WHAT IS REQUIRED

Servings : 4-6 adults

• 6-8 chicken drumsticks (cut into smaller pieces or whole drumsticks depending on your size)
• 1 packet of flour vermicelli (面线）or mee sua
• 10-12 dry winter mushrooms (soaked) or fresh shitake mushrooms
• 200 grams of ginger
• 1 cup of cooking wine (normal or glutinous rice cooking wine)
• 2 tablespoons of red yeast rice residue (红糟）
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil (not in pictures)
• 6-8 hard boiled eggs

STEPS OF PREPARATION

• Wash all ingredients and break the ginger into a big knife or other kitchen equipment. Depending on size of your mushrooms, you may want to cut in into smaller pieces.

• In a big pot, put the sesame oil and stir fry the ginger under medium heat until aromatic. Place the drumstick and slightly pan fry until all the skin of the chicken turn light brown. Add in the mushrooms and red yeast rice residue. Stir until well mixed.  Add in the cooking wine and same amount of water and bring to boil. Let the soup simmer for 25-30 minutes or until  the meats are soft.

• Just before you off the heat, add seasonings (such as salt and sugar), hard boiled eggs  and another 1/2 cup of cooking wine. Off the heat.

• In another small pan, bring some water to boil. In the boiling water, add the flour vermicelli (面线）。 Let it boil for a 2-3 minutes, drain and transfer to a serving bowl. Put a few ladles of the soup to the flour vermicelli and top with the drumstick and eggs for servings. Best serve when it is hot.

CONCLUSION

I have to admit that I have prepared this dish based on my taste buds and what i have eaten before. I am rather pleased with this and I hope readers do give it a try. Trust me, if you do not like the red yeast rice residue, omit it. The ginger and wine and chicken broth will make it a delicious bowl of comfort noodle dish.

This recipe was included in Page 33-34 of the “One Pot Noodle E-book”. For more One Pot Noodle Dishes, you can have a copy of “Easy One Pot Noodles  – A step by step guide” that was packed with 30 recipes, 60 pages at a reasonable convenience fee of USD5.00. The recipes covered various recipes from curry laksa, prawn noodles to fish head beehoon and etc. Of course not forgetting the well like Economy Bee hoon and Mee Rebus . You can purchase by clicking the link above.You can either pay using Pay Pal or Credit card account. Please ensure that you have an PDF reader like Acrobat or iBooks in your mobile phone or iPad if you intended to read it in your ipad or mobile phone. Should there be any problems of purchasing, feel free to contact me at kengls@singnet.com.sg and separate arrangement can be made.

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