Sliced Chicken in Royal Concubine Style

Sliced Chicken in Royal Concubine Style

　　Sliced Chicken in Royal Concubine Style

　　This is a unique Sichuan-style dish created by a famous Shanghai chef. It uses tender female chicken as the main ingredient, flavored with wine, resulting in a rich and intoxicating aroma that evokes the elegance of a royal concubine. In Xi'an, there's also another version called "Sliced Chicken in Royal Concubine Style." It features dumplings stuffed with chicken breast, chopped scallions, cooking wine, mushrooms, and more, shaped like plump wheat ears, with thin skin and tender filling—delicious yet not greasy.

　　Cuisine: Jiangsu Cuisine

　　Flavor: Fragrant and savory

　　Price: Over 80 RMB

　　Introduction:

　　Sliced Chicken in Royal Concubine Style is a famous signature dish at Shanghai's Meilongzhen Restaurant. It originated in the late 1920s at Tao Lechun, a Sichuan restaurant in Shanghai, and was created by renowned chefs such as Yan Chenglin, inspired by the Peking opera “The Drunken Concubine.” Originally named “Scallion Sliced Chicken in Royal Concubine Style,” it was served in a clay pot as a winter specialty. By the late 1930s, the dish was introduced to Meilongzhen Restaurant, where Chef Shen Zifang, known for his skill in “simmering over low heat,” refined it using his unique technique of “half-soup, half-dish” cooking. It was then renamed “Sliced Chicken in Royal Concubine Style” and became an all-season favorite. The finished dish is served in a covered bowl. When the lid is lifted, the room fills with a rich aroma—the fragrance of wine mingles with the tender chicken wings.

　　Ingredients:

　　24 chicken wings (about 750g), 500g pork ribs, 50g soaked dried mushrooms, 50g fresh bamboo shoots, 50g scallions, 10g ginger (crushed), 50g Shaoxing wine, 50g red wine, 30g soy sauce, 10g sugar, 1000g chicken broth, 500g lard (about 60g used).

　　Preparation Method:

　　1. Clean the chicken wings, marinate with a little Shaoxing wine and soy sauce, then fry in oil heated to about 60–70% temperature until the skin turns golden brown. Drain and set aside.

　　2. In the same pan, heat 50g lard, sauté the scallions and ginger until fragrant. Add the pork ribs and stir-fry until they change color. Then add the chicken wings, along with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sugar, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 20 minutes. Once the chicken wings are tender, turn up the heat, add the soaked mushrooms and sliced bamboo shoots, and cook until the sauce thickens. Remove the pork ribs and ginger, pour in the red wine, and serve in a covered bowl.