There is quite a number of recipes for Drunken Chicken. The beer-can version seems to be a popular choice for BBQ. Although people in other parts of the world will tend to argue which brand of beer is best suited for the grilled bird, we do not have to bother ourselves with this on-going debate – there is only one choice in Ireland.

The real Drunken Chicken dish (also commonly called Drunken Empress Chicken 貴妃醉雞 or Drunken Poet Li Bo Chicken 太白醉雞 in Chinese Cuisine) has over a thousand years of history. It is made not with beer but with a special Chinese Shao Hsing Hua Tiao wine - a dry sherry would be a close modern day alternative if you cannot find Hua Tiao in your local supermarket (Shao Hsing Hua Tiao wine should be served warm similar to warm Japanese sake). For me, a warm bottle of Hua Tiao is as good as a bottle of Remy Martin LouisXIII. Do try it and it goes very well with any types of meat dishes. It uses broiler but not fryer chicken. In fact, grilled or fried chicken will spoil the main appeal of Drunken Chicken which is its transparent and crispy skin.

Being one of the few cold dishes in Chinese cuisine coupled with its romantic association with a drunken empress and one of the two most revered poets in Chinese history, Drunken Chicken should be a must-have in your next visit to a Chinese restaurant.