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1
Dilute the hong zao paste with the rice wine or water until it reaches a loose, spoonable marinade consistency. Combine with the ginger and scallion sections. Coat the chicken pieces thoroughly in this marinade and leave for a minimum of 2 hours, overnight in the refrigerator if time allows. The marinade is ready when the chicken shows an even, deep crimson stain across all surfaces.
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2
Heat a wok until smoking. Lift the chicken pieces from the marinade, reserving the marinade liquid, and sear in the hot wok in a single layer. Turn once. The step is done when the exterior of each piece is browned and carries a firm, lightly crisped texture — without this browning, the finished dish will be bland and soft.
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3
Pour the reserved marinade over the seared chicken along with the sugar. Reduce the heat immediately to a moderate simmer. This is where the dish lives or dies: the sauce must never reach a vigorous boil — a rolling boil will drive off the delicate fermented aromatics that define hong zao ji entirely. Cook gently, turning the chicken occasionally, until the pieces are cooked through and the sauce has reduced to a glossy, clingy coating. The nose should confirm a persistent, sweet fermentation aroma throughout.
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4
Taste the sauce for balance between its inherent savouriness, gentle acidity, and the added sugar. Adjust with a small addition of rice wine or sugar as needed. The flavour is done when sweetness, umami, and mild alcoholic warmth are in equilibrium — no single note dominant.