Gary Yeung, a Boston native and a firefighter at the city’s Engine 10 firehouse, often applies the Chinese red-braising technique—a slow cooking method in which seasonings like soy sauce, sugar, and Shaoxing wine impart a reddish-brown color—to chicken legs when whipping up dinner for his team. Since firefighters regularly work 24-hour shifts, cooking and eating together is a nightly routine, and Yeung’s succulent red-braised chicken drumsticks recipe is always a crowd-pleaser among his crew.
Featured in “Around the Table with Boston’s Bravest” by Megan Zhang in the Spring/Summer 2024 issue.
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Yield: 6-6 Time: 1 hour 20 minutes ½ cup Shaoxing wine ¼ cup light soy sauce 3 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce 1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. ground white pepper 4 lb. chicken drumsticks 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 scallions, thinly sliced, divided One 2-in. piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced 1 tsp. cornstarch Instructions In a large bowl, stir together the Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and white pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1
