Shanghai Drunken Chicken

Yesterday, for dinner, Mom made a classic Shanghai dish that has been and will forever be my Dad's favorite. She's been making it for as long as I can remember; I guess she must have hit on it really early on, and it made such an impression on Dad that it became a recyclable dinner theme in our household from then on.

It's called Shanghai 'Drunken Chicken', which has something to do with the way it is cooked. I don't exactly know how it's done (Mom refuses to teach me and can be downright nasty when I try to help her in the kitchen), but Rasa Malaysia has a great recipe posted here. What I do know is that it is traditionally served with seasoned soy sauce, oil, and scallions - we actually had it at a local Shanghai eatery - but Dad prefers the ginger/garlic/scallion sauce they serve Hainan Chicken with. I personally prefer the former.

Anyway, here's a picture of my share of the chicken (no dark meat for me!). I wish I had more opportunities to play with the lighting/composition, but apparently the juices start drying out the moment the poultry is cut, so I could only take a few hurried shots amidst my mom's yells to stop and join the dinner table.