Chicken pieces are stewed in aromatics, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and red dates. Perfect as an easy weeknight meal or as part of a confinement diet. Can be cooked without clay pot too.
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Mix all the seasonings and pour over the chicken and let it marinade for at least 30 minutes. Best if you can marinate overnight
Separate the white and the green parts of green onion. Cut into 2-inch sections
Cooking on the stove:
Preheat a clay pot or regular pot or skillet over high heat. Add sesame oil
Add ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute
Add aromatics except for the green part of green onions. Stir fry for another 2 minutes
Add chicken pieces and saute again until the chicken turn opaque
Add carrots, red dates, and the marinating juice
Stir to mix everything
Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to medium. I did not add any additional liquid here because the chicken pieces will let out more liquid as they are cooking
Let it gently simmers for the next 15-20 minutes or until the chicken pieces are cooked through. Stir every now and then during cooking to prevent anything sticking to the bottom of the clay pot, pot or skillet. At the end of cooking time, the liquid will reduce some. Have a taste and add more soy sauce if needed
Add the green parts of the green onion. Turn off the heat. Put the lid back on. The residual heat will soften the green onion
Serve immediately with a bowl of rice
If you use Instant Pot:
Press saute on instant pot and when it's hot, add sesame oil. Add ginger and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add aromatics except for the green part of green onions. Stir fry for another 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, carrots, red dates, and the marinating juice. Stir to mix everything
Turn off saute mode. Close the lid. Turn the steam release valve to sealing. Press "pressure cooker" and make sure it's on high pressure and set the timer to 3 minutes
Release pressure immediately when it's done cooking. Press saute mode again and let it comes to a boil again to cook off the alcohol content, about 2-3 minutes. Turn of saute mode and stir in green onion
Notes
My mom would use DOM Benedictine in replaced of Shaoxing wine when she cooked this for me during my confinement period.